Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5-7. Two of the most common pets, Dog and Cat, philosophize alternately about life in their human household. Naturally, differences abound: "Dog: As for eating, I can take it or leave it--but I like it when they feed me." "Cat: Sometimes I tease them to feed me, then turn up my nose at what I get." The dog, protective of his owners, imagines the UPS man to be a burglar, while the cat accepts everyone unconditionally, if it is in the mood. The animals reflect on sleeping, playing, and even bathing, with the canine enjoying positive human touches: "I like my ears scratched. I like praise. I cannot bear it when they use that tone of voice." The cat expresses independence: "The dog amuses me. He cares about what people think!" Poet Hall carefully chooses his words, while Moser's deft paintbrush captures the two animals with precision. Children will love the huge rottweiler, friendly and eager to please, alongside the diffident tabby, green eyes staring, calculating its next move. Although the main characters are the focal point of the paintings, Moser's well-designed backgrounds, both indoors and out, in muted tones are the perfect complement to this rhythmical, whimsical duet. ~--Deborah Abbott
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A rottweiler and a green-eyed cat are the stars as well as the narrators of this second work from Hall and Moser ( The Farm Summer 1942 ). Hall's evenhanded and whimsical poem/play analyzes the nature of each species: ``DOG: I am the dog. / I like bones. / I like to bury bones. / As for eating, I can take it or leave it-- / but I like it when they feed me. CAT: I am the cat. / I won't care whether they feed me or not / as long as I get fed.'' Moser's paintings give each animal in the book a specific personality--the rottweiler shakes diamond beads of water from his coat or frightens ``the burglar disguised as a UPS man''; the cat peers intently through a window at a finch or sits like a queen atop a purple cushion. The feline rather disdainfully describes dogs as ``nervous and well-meaning''; the simultaneously ``dignified, / guilty, / sprightly, / obedient, / friendly, / vigilant, / and soulful'' dog says categorically that ``cats are weird.'' The absence of a clear story or plot, however, coupled with the arch tone of the text, may make the book more accessible and enjoyable to adult readers than to children. All ages. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-A free-verse poem that alternates the animals' voices. A Rottweiler lists its likes and dislikes making declarations with strong verbs. Its actions are forthright and positive, for it is a dog. A tabby's speeches take a more leisurely tone, conveyed by longer, rambling sentences and softer sounds. It exhibits contradictory and more emotional behaviors, for it is a cat. Moser's full-page watercolor portraits are naturalistic. His use of close perspectives, mostly from the animals'-eye view, capture the immediacy and personality of each creature. Adults will recognize the truth of this book and be amused; children will enjoy the words and pictures and be amused, as well.-Karen K. Radtke, Milwaukee Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. 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
Moser's splendid illustrations exactly capture the personalities of an aloof cat and a very doggy dog, and Hall's prose poem provides the analysis of their personalities in alternate statements from their very own lips. We find that a dog can feel ashamed or responsible, brave or fearful. But cats just don't care; that's all there is to it. They don't even 'care' that they don't care. A faithful description of our closest animal companions. From HORN BOOK 1994, (c) Copyright 2010. 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
In the manner of the insects in Paul Fleischman's Joyful Noise (1988, Newbery Medal), a dog and cat express their views on themselves, their world, and each other. Renowned poet Hall's succinct declarations are right on target (""Dog: Making the acquaintance of babies,/I allow them to pull my hair./I do not like it,/but I allow it, for/I am the dog./Cat: When babies come into the house,/I try to vanish./Babies are crazy!/Babies sit on you""). Hall captures the foibles and idiosyncrasies of both pets, straying only occasionally from witty scrutiny of animal behavior into anthropomorphic projection (""Cat: The dog amuses me""). Moser's candid portraits are equally apt: A baleful, pyramidal, lime-eyed cat glowers over its dish; a wary UPS man peers past weighty boxes at the even weightier Rottweiler; dog and cat snooze in concert while a mouse creeps past. He makes grand compositions of everything from a cat's tail poking ignominiously from beneath a rug to a dog sniffing a hydrant. A delight. Don't forget to enlist a second voice for sharing aloud. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
