The Old Man and the Afternoon Cat

The Old Man and the Afternoon Cat

Author: Michaela Muntean

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: Grades K-2

Year Published: 1982

Summary

This is the story of an old man that is very grumpy and does not talk to anyone and does not appreciate the sun shining or the birds chirping every morning. He grumbles all the time and practices grumbling. The one thing that this old man counts on every day is seeing a certain cat that comes and takes a nap with him in the park every afternoon. One day, the cat does not show up and the man becomes very worried. He asks all around, and finally finds the cat at a shelter. In the process, he makes many friends and learns how to be joyous and happy. 

About the Author

Michaela Muntean grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was the oldest of 7 children in her family. She often composed stories and plays to amuse her younger siblings! She attended the University of Wisconsin, and taught Russian Literature for a year following graduation.She eventually was hired at "Western Publishing Company / Golden Books in Racine, Wisconsin." There, she wrote and edited books for Sesame Street. She eventually got another job as the editor of Humpty Dumpty's Magazine through Parents' Magazine, and she continued to write children's books for Sesame Street and for Parents' Magazine Press. She currently lives in Shelter Island, NY with her husband and her two dogs. 

Source: http://www.pippinproperties.com/authors-illustrators/michaela-muntean/

How to Use it

The main idea of this story centers around this old man and the change that he goes through. The man transforms from a miserable and unhappy existence, to having many friends and a cat that depends on him.

Pre-Reading: Talk to the class about what it means to be grumpy. What does grumpy look like or sound like? Make a class list of ways that you can cheer up someone who is grumpy. 

Post-Reading: Have the children get into small groups and discuss what they think the main idea from the story is. Have them come up with one thing they learned from the story, and how they can apply that to their own lives. Students could also compose a writing piece that centers around their real-life experience cheering someone up. 

 

What do I Think?

I love this book! I think the storyline is simple, yet effective. The old man learns a valuable lesson: life is so much better when lived positively! To have this message translated into terms that younger children can understand is a great thing. Imagine the possibilities if all students learned this lesson at a young age...