Dear Dewey The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World,

As the Booklist (starred review) said, you are a "beguiling, poignant and tender tale." I'm so glad that you were left behind in a heap of what could have been cheesy or unreadable books in the closet at the apartment in the Jayakarta Resort in Bali. I mean, I could have chosen any of the books from that deep, dark closet shelf. But I chose you, Dewey. I chose you because the photo of you on the cover called to me. It said, read me and find out more about Dewey Readmore Books, the small-town library cat who touched the world.

Oh Dewey the small-town library cat who touched the world, you taught me not only about the peculiarities about a handsome, humble (for a cat) cat, but you also taught me about the resilience of a small town in northwestern Iowa.

Just like the book in the closet, you were left behind in a drop-box on that frigid January morning, and as you snuggled into Vicki Myron's chest, you made that rough and tumble farm girls heart melt. When Doris would give you catnip and you'd do figure eights, zigzags and pretzels you'd make everyone laugh. As you jumped into the laps of the genealogy club members at their weekly meetings, you made people feel special. But when you started getting into the local press, Cat Fancy, the documentary Puss in Books and even the Japanese documentary, you touched the world.

That's right Dewey, the small-town library cat who touched the world, you touched the entire world. But you also touched me. I feel recharged and revitalized after reading your tale. You reminded me to value the small things, to value quality over quantity, to find my place, to be happy with what I have and to love life. You were a special cat.

To close my letter to you, Dewey the small-town library cat who touched the world, I will leave with Vicki Myron's description of you in your official photograph, the one that won the contest at Shopko, accompanied countless articles in international press and the one that caught my eye. "He looks like he's trying to be strong and handsome but can't quite pull it off because he's so darn cute."

Thanks Dewey the small-town library cat who touched the world, thanks for being so darn cute.

Cat Fancied,
jason