Toes

When a litter of cats is born into the McDonahue family, one kitten stands out from the rest. Intelligent and aptly named, Toes has seven toes on each foot instead of five. The other kittens tease him and, fearing his condition might be contagious, refuse to include him in their games.

So one night, a lonely Toes flees his house. He takes refuge in a strange basement, where a struggling musician named Sebastian eventually finds him. Sebastian soon realizes that this is no ordinary cat. 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.

In the tradition of The Wainscott Weasel and A Rat's Tale, Toes is a timeless story by National Book Award finalist Tor Seidler that features a charming and endearing character who touches the heart of everyone he meets.

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.