Jerry Pinkney's Cats

"Three Little Kittens" was not the sole "cat-work" that Pinkney undertook.

Pinkney was also known for "Puss in Boots," "The Lion and the Mouse" (with a prominent lion, a big cat), and "The Ugly Duckling" (featuring a memorably smug, self-certain cat).

The NY Times observed that Pinkney was more "at home" making animals than making humans--and the proof is "Little Red Ridinghood." You see a fabulous wolf next to a sort-of-uninspired sketch of a little girl.

Pinkney's most-celebrated cat--the "lion," from Aesop's tales--actually takes up a full cover, with no words on the cover. This is very rare in picture-book history. The bold move worked; the book went on to win the Caldecott Medal, and that's Pinkney's *one and only* Caldecott Medal.

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