Dog says, cat says

Using rhyming couplets, Singer humorously delves into the distinct differences between dogs and cats using a "he said, she said" format. An energetic black pup in the book appears to be aligned with a young dark-haired girl, whereas the girl's redheaded brother and an orange tabby are companions. One example of a character-trait difference comes to light when a box arrives in the mail: the dog is excited to see what's inside, while the carrot-colored cat simply wants the box emptied so it can cozy up in the snug space. For the most part, the dog and cat get along fine together but their personalities come through loud and clear. Dog: "Come on, let's do something. / Let's have a wrestling match." Cat: "Go ahead and try it / and you'll see how well I scratch." Perfect timing makes the poetic story easy and enjoyable to read aloud. Illustrations created with pencil and Photoshop present warm, bright colors and feature plentiful patterns and entertaining details throughout. The amusing pictures appear in a variety of sizes and reveal much movement and energy, performed mainly by the lively dog. A delightful day-in-the-life tale.

A cat and dog experience the same day in the same house in completely different ways. The big, black dog wakes ready to play, but the orange cat isn't sure it will leave its bed at all. The dog is sad that its young humans have to leave the house for the day; the cat doesn't even notice (or so the cat would like you to think). The dog says, "Mailman's here. I must bark! Stay away from us!" while the insouciant cat comments, "That guy never comes indoors. Why make such a fuss?" Dog is eager to explore what's inside a box, but the cat only cares about claiming the box as a snuggery. Just before the kids get home, the dog waits excitedly by the door as the cat keeps watch from across the room, where it is calmly lounging. When the kids return, the dog surrenders itself to much billing and cooing; the cat subjects itself to being petted--but only a bit. In this contrasting manner, the story follows the animals through the rest of their day, leading to a sweet ending at bedtime. Singer's rhyming text faithfully describes an ordinary day in the life of furry siblings and their humans, a black-haired girl and a ginger-haired boy, both White-presenting. Sánchez's pencil drawings, colored using Photoshop, heighten the humor and mesh nicely with the text. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A satisfying read for dogs, cats, AND their young humans. (Picture book. 2-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.