One wintry day a lonely stray cat wandered into the Royal Hotel. He chased mice so well that he was given his first home, and his name—Tom, the Hotel Cat.

Tom liked cellar work, but one night he became restless and followed his nose upstairs. There he found a friend, the gentle Mrs. Wilkins. Together they agreed that Tom would be happier with upstairs work too. So Tom put himself in charge of all the cat guests at the Royal Hotel.

They didn't like him at first; he was too bossy. But Tom soon learned a proper hotel manner. He met Jenny, Edward, and Checkers and the other members of the Cat Club. Tom proved himself helpful and considerate, and he became their "friend forever."

Esther Averill, whose books about Jenny and her friends have been loved by a generation of young readers, introduces an appealing new character in this tender, funny story, illustrated with her own delightful pictures of everybody's favorite Cat Club members.

From the dust jacket