The Four Ugly Cats in Apartment 3D

One day, the disagreeable Mr Freeman is forced to look after Lily, when she is locked out of her apartment after school. She meets his four cats, and has a glimpse of a loneliness and a tenderness in the man that she had never suspected. When Mr Freeman dies, Lily takes on the responsibility of finding homes for his pets, all of them as ugly as Mr Freeman was unfriendly. Through this simple quest, she learns something about human nature. It’s not only that sometimes the most hostile person has a vulnerable and caring side, it’s also that sometimes good can come from an appeal to unattractive motives like greed – one of the cats turns out to be an expensive rare breed.

Sachs has written a humorous and subtle tale that will appeal to children, and that uses the relationship of child and pet to touch gently on human relationships. Litzinger’s quirky and characterful line drawings are just right.