My Pet (Not Yours)

Gr 1-2–In his second book starring Lento and Fox, Sanders presents a short tale as the two main characters argue over a new pet. Unlike the first book’s tendency to break the fourth wall, the frenemies’ dialogue falls into a purely comedic category of slapstick humor during the argument. The pleasant sloth, Lento, wants to prove that the bright purple bunny accompanying him is his new pet, but snarky Fox storms onto the scene, claiming the bunny as his own. While the two bicker to prove who is the true owner, the rabbit appears silent and expressionless until the final surprising twist. A bold, consistent color scheme unifies the scenes, which demonstrate comedic pauses and expressive moods. Though this is an enjoyable short story, which gets sillier and sillier, the imbalance between dialogue and wordless illustrated spreads makes for inconsistent pacing and a far shorter read than its elementary audience might appreciate.