Ketzel, The Cat Who Composed

Ketzel, The Cat Who Composed written by Leslea Newman and illustrated by Amy June Bates (2015)

Ketzel, is a kitten who is adopted off the street by a kind musician named Moshe. Moshe taught Ketzel how to listen to the music within himself and outside himself. Then one day Moshe receives an invitation to enter a contest. Entries could not be more than sixty seconds long. Moshe tried repeatedly to write such a small composition, but just couldn’t do it. Ketzel tried her best to cheer him up. Then one morning, Ketzel padded across the keyboard. Moshe was so excited that he wrote down exactly what Ketzel had played. Ketzel’s composition did not win first prize, but it did win honorable mention. At the concert, Ketzel meowed at the sound of her name and was introduced to the audience as the composer of this piece. She won a royalty check of $19.72 which Moshe used to buy cat food.

This beautifully written and illustrated picture book is based on a true story about a kitten who strolled down  a keyboard, thus creating her first and only piano composition, for which she was paid a royalty check of $19.72 which was used to buy her cat food.

Enjoy this story with your little ones. Like a good musical composition, you’ll want to hear it again and again.

Make a fun little kitty-cat plate to serve your little one’s snack today.