Socks by Beverly Cleary brought to life by Beatrice Darwin in  the 1980 Dell Yearling edition of the book.

Sofie is a special cat and late addition to the wall. She is owner, Michael Herrmann’s cat immortalized forever, so she can be with him both at home and at work.

I included Pete the Cat created by Eric Litwin and illustrator James Dean.

My version of Splat the Cat was originally created illustrated by Robert Scotton

The little conductor in the #45 train (note the street address of the building) is again a reference to Richard Scarry but is also reminiscent of television’s Mr. Roger’s puppet, Daniel the Tiger who I think occasionally rode, Trolley.

This cat is to represent all those illustrators before color separation became something we take for granted. Such Illustrator greats as Dahlove Ipcar, Marcia Brown, Clement Hurd, Virginia Lee Burton, Clare Turley Newberry, Marjorie Flack and Robert McCloskey to name but a few if you don’t know their work check them out.

 This is Egypt -- Kate Whouley’s cat from 1987-2004. Kate designed the new Gibson’s Bookstore. Egypt was called “one of the most interesting cats in American literature” by a reviewer of Kate’s first memoir, Cottage for Sale Must Be Moved. My work was inspired by the illustrations of John Nez..

Beyond the literary in an homage to the city of Concord itself, I included a little of the local architecture in with the golden capped Capitol building far left, and the Capitol Center for the Arts to the right and Gibson’s former home at 29 S. Main St. below right.