Review by Kirkus Book Review
Fluffy Pineapple's comfortable feline routine, upended by small, sleek newcomer Kiwi, must adjust to a decidedly new normal. Metaphorically depicted on a large clock, Pineapple's pre-Kiwi schedule included ample doses of eating, window-watching, sleeping, solitary play, and snuggling with his human. "Kiwi was fast. / Kiwi was LOUD. / Kiwi was exhausting." Kiwi mimics Pineapple, following him everywhere. (Spot illustrations show them eating a houseplant and scratching an armchair, among tamer pursuits.) Kiwi supplants Pineapple in their human's reading chair, too--a scene sure to elicit twinges in any reader who's had to share parental affection. Reaching his limit, Pineapple scares his rival off. Predictably, the ensuing serenity is too serene. Once resumed, his "sweet routine had soured.…Pineapple started to worry." Locating and then monitoring Kiwi takes Pineapple to new household spots like the attic, where the two gaze out at nesting birds. Newly bonded, the pair eats, naps, and makes mischief together, and a final spread shows them sharing a cozy lap-nap. Kurpiel's pictures, executed in flat pastels anchored with brown and blue-gray, include plenty of fruity touches for readers to spot, from the citrus-slice clock and watermelon planter to a lamp with a pineapple base. A familiar story of house-bound pet rivalry, amiably resolved. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
