Toes

Book excerpt: 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.