On Christmas Eve, a gray cat, lost in the snow, abandoned when his original owners moved without him, it is now winter. As a blizzard occurs in the forest, his paws are frozen with ice. Drifts so large, it is difficult for him to navigate, making him vulnerable.

As the sound of bells rings throughout the forest, the animals all hurry to approach the two horses pulling a sled and the man with a beard who has large baskets of berries and nuts. As the animals gather to eat their much needed meal, the little cat is noticed.

He is taken to a small arm where two boys live. The cat becomes their most prized gift of the season. And, the cat no longer need to worry about abandonment, cold and starvation.

I never cease to marvel at the artistry of Tasha Tudor. Her images o the animals, in particular the eyes of the deer and fox, are very real looking. ( )

A little gray cat, abandoned by his people some time before, struggles through the snow-blanketed forest one icy Christmas Eve, searching for a warm, dry place to rest. Nearby, in a farmhouse on the edge of the forest, two young brothers make cookies for their Christmas tree, and worry that Santa Claus will be unable to make it through the stormy weather. Come he does, however, visiting the forest animals first, and, finding the little cat, decides that the two brothers will have a very special gift this year...

A heartwarming tale, one guaranteed to appeal to young animal lovers, who will appreciate the happy (and not altogether unexpected) ending, The Christmas Cat was written by Efner Tudor Holmes, the daughter of acclaimed children's artist Tasha Tudor, who is the illustrator here. I thought her depiction of Santa Claus, seen here as a young, blond-haired and bearded man, was quite interesting. Altogether, a sweet little holiday tale, one I would recommend to young cat lovers, and to fans of Tasha Tudor. ( )

A little cat is homeless in the woods until a man finds him and finds him a family. ( )

A little cat is homeless and alone in the woods during a terrible storm because her family has disappeared and she can’t find a new one. A man who feeds the animals knows about the perfect family for her with two sweet little boys: he leaves her there and the boys find her Christmas morning. ( )