Dog vs. Cat

Dog and Cat try to get along, but they're just too different. They build a wall of stuff to separate themselves, but then they start to miss each other...just in time to join forces to escape another new roommate. Text and pictures are layered with humor, and the bold colored-pencil and digitally created art heightens the odd-couple drama.

Anyone who has ever shared space will recognize the dilemma that develops when Mr. Button brings home a dog the same day that Mrs. Button brings home a cat, and they put them in the same room. The pets try to get along, but they're just too different: for example, "Dog was always sniffing everything" and "Cat would claw anything that moved." "The litter box issue" sends everyone's good intentions by the wayside. Text and pictures are layered with humor, and the bold colored-pencil and digitally colored art heightens the odd-couple drama with every page turn, culminating in a giant wall of stuff built to completely separate the two. Walled-off Cat and Dog start to miss each other, but as soon as they begin to make amends, they must join forces to escape yet another new roommate. The text describes a terrible creature, but the pictures give away the joke that a new baby has arrived. Mr. and Mrs. Button occasionally appear in the illustrations, but only from the neck down to keep the story within the realm of the animals. Endpapers feature black-and-white illustrated snapshots of Dog and Cat, inviting readers to imagine more scenes from their life together. julie roach