Review by Booklist Review
The creators of the Geisel-winning You Are (Not) Small (2014) here move on from books about disputes to one about general incompatibility, with a story of a dog and a cat thrown together in an adventure that keeps showing just how opposite they are--until they find one thing they can bond over. We first see the raffish mutt, Hudson, and the pampered, plump Tallulah on opposite sides of a fence separating their respective backyards. They're different in attitudes (Hudson says the fence keeps them trapped; Tallulah says it keeps them safe) and behavior (when a bird lands on the fence, Hudson barks; Tallulah pounces). Their adventure starts when Hudson digs his way out under the fence, with Tallulah following him warily along the street, to the dog park, and then back home through puddles, which she hates--until the two find a common passion in chasing the birds that bathe in the puddles. New Yorker cartoonist Weyant's illustrations, which use gouache, graphite, and lots of white space, carry the day, filling the dog's and cat's reactions to what they encounter with plenty of comic details (like the bold lettering conveying the dog-park dogs' frantic barking at the cat). Madcap fun.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The only thing that Hudson, a scruffy brown dog, seems to have in common with neighbor Tallulah, a white cat with ginger markings, is the fence separating their yards and the antagonism they share. On an excursion around the neighborhood, their differences repeatedly surface. Tallulah turns up her nose at dumpster-diving Hudson's "feast"; Hudson yawns as Tallulah gleefully chases a butterfly. But after Tallulah warmly greets the mail carrier by contentedly wrapping herself around his legs, Hudson is outraged ("He's my enemy"), and each glowers: "Stay on YOUR side." Luckily, it's not long before a puddle of bathing birds simultaneously attracts the adversaries; their mischievous romp through it sends birds flying and becomes the first of many activities they appreciate equally. Aptly captured by married team Kang and Weyant (You Are (Not) Small), the unlikely friends' comic path to camaraderie unfolds nearly wordlessly, with expressive gouache and graphite scenes that burst with physical humor, showing that even those who fight like cats and dogs can be friends. Ages 4--8. Agent (for author and illustrator): Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (May)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Hudson and Tallulah, dog and cat (respectively) neighbors and archenemies, find they can have some companionable moments. Tallulah happily chases a bluebird in her yard, hears loud barking, climbs atop the property's dividing fence, and sees Hudson busily digging a hole under the fence. "WHAT are you doing?" she demands. Hudson replies, "I'm busting out. Fences keep me trapped." Tallulah disagrees: "Fences keep us safe." But her curiosity wins the day, and she follows him down the block, where Hudson begins to explore an overfilled garbage can he calls a breakfast "feast." Tallulah counters, "Feast? It's garbage." Then she begins to chase a butterfly. At the dog park Hudson is enthusiastically welcomed and Tallulah is uproariously rejected. "Why would anyone want a dog for a friend?" bemoans Tallulah, the white space above her crammed full of all-caps iterations of cat and bark. Charming cartoons convey the nearly wordless story augmented with dialogue between the two rivals. Hudson's feisty, adventurous, fun-loving attitude parallels Tallulah's elegant, proper persona, with the two arguing constantly until the opportunity to really enjoy something together presents itself via some play in a large bird-filled puddle. The frenemies soften their squabbling and end up side by side outside their respective yards. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 50% of actual size.) An amusing exploration of how opposite personalities can learn to appreciate their unique relationship. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
