Worried when she spots a cat up a tree, Nana Quimby frantically rings the firehouse for help, only to discover that the firemen no longer rescue cats in trees. What is she to do? She looks out the window again to discover five cats up the tree. And the cats keep coming - too many to count - in all sorts of zany colors, shapes, and sizes. Frantic, Nana Quimby calls the police station, the pet shop, the zoo, and even city hall, but no one will respond to her plea. Children will love counting all the irresistible cats in John Hassett's lively artwork, as the town that refuses to help finds itself caught in a hilarious quandary and finally learns the importance of lending a hand.

Do cats still climb trees? Do firemen still rescue them? Yes indeed is the answer to the first question and a resounding no to the second, according to this very funny book. It seems no onewill rescue a cat up a tree--as Nana Quimby finds out. When she sees one stranded cat outside her window, the firehouse tells her to call back if the cat starts playing with matches. Later, she reports five cats up the tree. The police tell her to call back if the cats rob a bank. The pet store won't help with 10 cats, the zoo with 15, nor the post office with 20, nor the library with 25. Thirty cats? City hall tells her to call back when she needs a sign, "Danger! Look Up for Falling Cats!" Finally, when there are 35 cats up the tree, Nana throws the phone out the window, and 40 cats cross on the phone line into her house. Later, city hall calls, complaining of a mob of mice. Nana tells them to call back when they want to hear cats purr. The cumulative amusement is heightened by the book's inventive art, which features cats resembling varicolored pieces of spaghetti, a dumpling of a Nana with a spiky hairdo, and a five-fingered tree overflowing with dancing, prancing felines. As much fun for the reader as the listener.

'"This is a pettable and furry little adventure that should make lapsitters as happy as kittens with a ball of yarn."'

'\"As much fun for the reader as the listener.\"'

John and Ann Hassett have been collaborating on picture books for more than ten years. Their books are known for their quirky humor and lively illustrations. The Hassetts live and work in Maine, where their “commute to work is short (upstairs, and first door on the right).”