Toes

Tor Seidler's sweet and humorous story about Toes, the runt of a litter of cats who is born with seven toes on each paw.

Intelligent and aptly named, Toes has seven toes on each foot. The other kittens, fearing his condition might be contagious, refuse to play with him. So one night, a lonely Toes runs away. He takes refuge in a strange basement, where a struggling musician named Sebastian eventually finds him. As he grapples with his own insecurities as a violinist, Sebastian learns from Toes that the most beautiful duet can be the one made by true friendship.

National Book Award finalist Tor Seidler once again introduces an endearing animal who will live in readers' hearts forever.

Born in Littleton, New Hampshire, Tor Seidler grew up in Vermont and later, Seattle, Washington, in both of which places his parents were involved in the theater. Encouraged by his family's love of the arts, Mr. Seidler studied English literature at Stanford University, and at the age of twenty-seven his first book, The Dulcimer Boy, was published, launching his celebrated career as a writer.

Over the past twenty years, Mr. Seidler has become one of the most important voices in children's fiction with such classics as, A Rat's Tale, The Wainscott Weasel, an ALA Notable Book, Terpin, and Mean Margaret, which was selected as a finalist for the National Book Award in 1997. He currently lives in New York City.

Pam Conrad is author of The Tub People, The Tub Grandfather, The Lost Sailor and Call Me Ahnighito, all illustrated by Richard Egielski, Animal Lingo, illustrated by Barbara Falk, and Doll Face Has A Party!, illustrated by Brian Selznick. She has also written many acclaimed novels, including Stonewords, Zoe Rising, Prairie Songs, and My Daniel. She lives in Rockville Centre, NY.

Eric Beddows illustrated the Zoom series, for which he has twice won Canada's Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award; the Newbery-winning Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, and Shadow Play, both by Paul Fleischman. He lives in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.