Although he would rather be sipping an ice cream soda, Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby attend a cooking class with Mrs. Teaberry and her dog Zeke, where they expect to learn 100 ways to cook beans.

Mr. Putter and Tabby's plans to cook a pot of homemade soup goes to the dogs--thanks to Mrs. Teaberry's pet, Zeke.

When he gets too old to climb up the ladder, Mr. Putter and his cat, Tabby, figure out an ingenious way to pick pears for pear jelly.

Mr. Putter gets an old cat to share his life with him.

The Kamishibai man used to ride his bicycle into town where he would tell stories to the children and sell them candy, but gradually, fewer and fewer children came running at the sound of his clappers. They were all watching their new televisions instead. Finally, only one boy remained, and he had no money for candy. Years later, the Kamishibai man and his wife made another batch of candy, and he pedaled into town to tell one more story—his own. When he comes out of the reverie of his memories, he looks around to see he is surrounded by familiar faces—the children he used to entertain have returned, all grown up and more eager than ever to listen to his delightful tales. Using two very different yet remarkable styles of art, Allen Say tells a tale within a tale, transporting readers seamlessly to the Japan of his memories.

When their neighbor Mrs. Teaberry hurts her foot, Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby agree to walk her dog for a week, not knowing what they are in for.

A Junior Library Guild selection.