Review by New York Times Review
Life's pretty great for Pepper, a fluff-ball gray house cat who has eyes like lime-green saucers and firm personal boundaries. Then his owner gives him a young companion, and it all goes south. The kitten tumbles around, making a mess. Only when the two collude to blame it on a mellow-looking dog can the cats be friends. It's a perfectly paced little tale, and Preston-Gannon composes each page with geometric precision, setting her charismatic pets against a sleek black background. MR. POSTMOUSE'S ROUNDS Written and illustrated by Marianne Dubuc. 32 pp. Kids Can Press. $17.95. (Picture book; ages 3 to 8) Picture a trip through a Richard Scarry-like workaday community gone bananas. The latest brilliance from Dubuc ("The Lion and the Bird") features a chipper gray mouse dutifully pulling his wagon to make deliveries to a roster of creatures including bats, octopuses, dragons and yetis. Their dwellings teem with delicately detailed secret passageways, underground bunkers, Rube Goldberg contraptions and clever references to fairy tales. The deadpan prose lets the visuals steal the show. MOUSETROPOLIS Written and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. 32 pp. Holiday House. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 3 to 8) Christie's snappy reimagining of "The City Mouse and the Country Mouse" gorgeously celebrates both travel and home, with graceful-looking mice whose oversize ears somehow make them seem soulful. With rich emerald hills and mysterious black trees, the country is serene and inviting, but it's hard to argue with the city's liveliness: There's "lots to eat" and "music and dancing everywhere," including a knockout spread of hip, joyful mice dancing to a boombox in a subway station. MUMMY CAT By Marcus Ewert. Illustrated by Lisa Brown. 48 pp. Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 5 to 9) Egyptology takes a Halloween-friendly turn in this winning rhymed tale of a cat once owned by a girl-queen called Hatshup-set. We meet him as a rather cute mummy, awake to check if "his loving friend" has come back. He wanders forlornly, looking at painted scenes of his life with the queen and her horrid death by scorpion bite. Brown's tableaus are dynamic and lovely, with a sinister plot playing out in the background. There are hieroglyphics to decode, too, and a key at the end. THE STORY OF DIVA AND FLEA By Mo Willems. Illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi. 69 pp. Hyperion. $14.99. (Early chapter book; ages 5 to 8) Willems departs from his beloved, angsty Elephant and Piggie early readers with this lighthearted valentine to Paris, handsomely illustrated by DiTerlizzi. Diva is a small, proud dog who guards - or so she believes - a grand apartment building. Her orderly world is rocked by Flea, a street cat who's a dedicated flâneur. Together they stroll the city, helping each other overcome certain embarrassing limitations. Each brief chapter charms, topped off with a cameo by Willems at the end. ONLINE An expanded visual presentation of this week's column at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [October 11, 2015]
Review by Booklist Review
Pepper, a gray cat with green eyes, likes Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays. However, one Wednesday, something changes: Poe, a tiny white kitten with orange eyes, is introduced to Pepper, who takes one look at that smiling face before thinking, I don't like it. It's downhill from there, as Thursday is bad, Friday is worse, and Saturday is nearly impossible. Pepper's instant disdain for Poe deepens as the kitten invades Pepper's space and tries to take his toys and ball of yarn. But when Poe pursues Pepper in a mad chase through the house and gets frightened by some tumbling toys, Pepper comforts the youngster, ushering in a peaceful Sunday. The black background on each page highlights the adorably big-eyed cats and the vibrant items in their home. Sweet and silly, this is a good book for learning the days of the week and accepting a new sibling. Pair with Sam Lloyd's Mr. Pusskins and Little Whiskers (2008) for a similar tale of reluctant feline friendship.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-A simple story of household pet dynamics. Pepper is a big gray cat with green eyes that clearly convey his contentment with life. Sundays are for napping, Mondays for playing, Tuesdays are for annoying the dog, and then Wednesday arrives, and so does Poe, an eager white fluff ball of a kitten with adoring orange eyes. Suddenly, Poe is following Pepper around, playing with his toys, and taking up his favorite spaces. Finally, Pepper has had enough, but a big crash of home decor and a pitiable cry from Poe are enough to bring the two together-by blaming it all on the dog. Preston-Gannon's digital illustrations convey texture, movement, and plenty of personality, and while the narrative feels familiar, the simple text with very few words per page and the predictable structure make this a good option for newly independent readers. Young audiences will certainly see their own pets, and potentially their siblings, in these two endearing characters. VERDICT While it doesn't break any new ground, this is a pleasantly satisfying romp that will appeal to a wide range of independent readers and should be a hit at storytime.-Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Sacramento Public Library, CA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Pepper enjoys life as an only cat. We see Pepper dozing on Sunday, playing with toys on Monday, and tormenting the dog on Tuesday. But on Wednesday, something changed. Presented with a little white kitten (Look what I have for you! says Peppers human), Pepper reacts with horror as the kitten becomes increasingly disruptive on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Inevitably, Sunday brings a crisis in which the kitten causes a terrifying avalanche and needs to be comforted. Suddenly, the two become allies, blaming the dog for the mess. Preston-Gannons graphically sophisticated treatment shows a gray Pepper and a brown dog against a flat black background. Why black? The seemingly random choice becomes clear when the little all-white kitten joins the cast, becoming the focal point on each spread. Digital illustrations have the appearance of mixed-media collage, and the handwritten-style typeface (Litterbox ICG!) is well chosen. The cats are drafted with simple shapes, their postures and large eyes broadcasting their emotions perfectly. While the days-of-the-week trope provides a pleasing structure, the idea that the situation could be diffused so quickly might be overly optimistic. But the use of humor and animal characters lightens any hint of a heavy message in this story of sibling rivalry. lolly robinson (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Life is good for Pepper, the household's only cat, until Poe arrivesnow nothing will be the same, as the new siblings navigate toys, space, and ultimately, friendship. Pepper loves the days of the week. Sundays are for napping, Mondays for playing, Tuesdays for testing the dog's patience. But this Wednesday, everything changes. A frisky, white kitten joins the family, and Pepper declares, "I don't like it." Poe is cute and jolly, and more than anything, the kitten wants to play with territorial Pepper. Seeking space and privacy, the elder feline runs, while the younger takes chase. Mayhem ensues, as dishes, laundry, boxes, and even Poe rain down. However, when the owner asks who's at fault for the mess, the two blame the dog and are forever bonded. Digital illustrations capture the warmth and texture of hand-painted collage. Like Leo Lionni, the artist uses negative space to bring her expressive and appealing characters into focustheir emotions, desires, and intentions. Preston-Gannon perfectly depicts a young sibling relationship, with respect, wit, and empathy for both sides. True to her subjects, the ending is as hilarious as it is heartwarming, and it will leave readers clamoring for more. A sparkling addition to the new-sibling bookshelf. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
