The Hotel Cat by Esther Averill

This is a book nostalgic for a time gone by, written in time that's since gone by. It's the story of Tom, the Hotel Cat, who works at the once regal, but now old Royal Hotel as a mouser. Tom spends his nights walking the upper floors and making new friends. The story culminates with all the cats staying at the hotel throwing a stardust ball in the hotel's grand ballroom.

The story is simple and uncomplicated and that's what makes it so charming. The characters, both the felines and the humans, are sweet and lovable. The story is perfect for a young child. There is nothing even remotely frightening or even mean-spirited in these books. Overall a good read.

Recommend this one as a bedtime story for a sweet little preschooler or kindergartener or as a beginning reader for a child in lower elementary.