Summary: Ben Yehuda Street is a street filled with cats in Tel Aviv. Katzie and Gatito live with Mrs. Spiegel who lives in an apartment next to The Tel Aviv Fish Palace , which is owned by Mr. Modiano. Unfortunately, he does not like cats but brings Mrs. Spiegel the rotten fish he has left over at the end of the day to feed to her cats. She always invites him in for tea but he always refuses. One day Mrs. Spiegel cannot find her cats and is in a panic. Mr. Modiano searches all night and finds them, in an effort to thank him she invites him for tea again but he declines. Instead, he asks if he could make her a cup of tea.

Personal connection: This book helps my inquiry project by showing that while this book does not have a lot to do with the country of Israel, it is a nice book that depicts the many cats that live on the streets there. Also, it is a tale of friendship and helping a neighbor, which is something that Israelis believe heavily in.

Class use: Have students talk about an unlikely friendship they had formed and what it taught them. ( )

Mr. Modiano secretly loves cats and maybe Mrs. Spiegel, too. ( )

The Cats on Ben Yehuda Street by Ann Redisch Stampler is about a pair of cats who bring together long time neighbors. The story is set in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Mr. Modiano runs the Fish Palace and his place is understandably very popular with the local stray cat population. His neighbor and best customer, Mrs. Spiegel cares for two cats, but can only keep one in her apartment.

Although Mr. Modiano isn't a fan of cats, he does like Mrs. Spiegel. So he comes to her rescue, searching on his motor scooter all night for her missing cat. It is through Mrs. Spiegel that Mr. Modiano's feelings towards cats soften.

It's a sweet picture book about friendship and the way animals can enrich our lives. ( )

This is a charming book that shows the bonds between cats and the persons they own. The illustrations are cute, and the book shows how cats adopt their pet humans. Any child or adult who is owned by a cat will love this one! This review is based on an advance reader's e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley. ( )