Nicky is a playful kitten. His house has an upstairs and a downstairs. When his mother calls, "Nicky, where are you?" Nicky might be up, or he might be down. Or… he might be nowhere to be found!


About the Author:

Harriet Ziefert was born in New Jersey. She grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, where she attended the local schools. She graduated from Smith College, then received a Masters degree in Education from New York University.

For many years, Ziefert was an elementary school teacher. She taught most grades from kindergarten to fifth grade. "I liked it," she said, but she stopped teaching when she had her own sons. When her children were older, Ziefert wanted "a bigger arena" for her work. She went to work at a publishing company, Scholastic in New York City, developing materials for teacher’s guides for kindergarten language arts and social studies programs.