Review by Booklist Review
It is sunny, but when the sky goes "rumble rumble" and the thunder goes "boom!" Dog is scared. Cat is not. Dog hides behind furniture, under couch cushions, and in the closet while cat plays with a series of stuffed toys, unconcerned, until the storm gives way to a sunny sky again. The latest from I Like to Read Comics, this is a Level One easy reader told in graphic novel format by a Geisel honor book author. The very simple story is told in a mix of panels and dramatic full spreads to highlight the stormier moments, with expressive and emotive illustrations done by fountain pen and digitally altered. While the plot isn't necessarily complex enough to entertain more sophisticated readers, the words--displayed in a mix of speech bubbles and captions, and featuring extremely simple and mostly monosyllabic sentences and sound effects--create a clear-cut plot with plenty of context clues for beginning and emergent readers.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--A simple yet special young readers' graphic novel with a concise and lightly hilarious story to tell. A cat and dog are lazing around their cozy house when a storm starts to brew outside. There's thunder! Dog is startled, and becomes increasingly agitated as the storm continues, ultimately cowering in the closet and falling fast asleep. While dozing, Dog imagines becoming a superhero who brings back the blue sky. Meanwhile, Cat remains blithely unruffled, batting their toys around and gently teasing Dog. Juxtaposing Dog's escalating emotional reaction with Cat's nonchalance makes for an amusing tension rooted in canine and feline realities, but also serves as a great touchstone for children and caregivers considering their own emotional reactions to stormy day sounds. As an introduction to reading, The text is satisfyingly succinct and active, peppered with repetitive storm noises--"Rumble," "Boom"--and command words--"Run!" "Hide!"--mixed with the pets' simple dialogue. Illustrations are unobtrusive yet thoughtful, filling the small domestic world with a plethora of textures and patterns, in carpets, furniture, walls, and clothing. Cat and Dog are drawn in a style visually reminiscent of William Steig characters, both in their cute, wobbly-outlined imperfection and instant emotional resonance. VERDICT A swift, sweet, and visually satisfying vignette for beginning readers to enjoy with a caregiver or on their own.--Emilia Packard
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Review by Horn Book Review
Meisel (See Me Play, rev. 7/19; and others) is an accomplished creator of early-reader picture books; in his first comic for beginning readers, Dog and Cat are napping when the sky darkens and the first rumble of thunder wakes them. Dog reacts with wide-eyed fear; insouciant Cat plays with a mouse toy. As the thunder grows louder, Dog tries several hiding spots -- behind the couch, under a cushion, in a closet -- but can't find a place that feels safe. Cat, meanwhile, keeps playing. (When Dog screams, "HIDE! HIDE!" Cat calmly replies, "I found my duck.") The pen-and-ink illustrations are expressive and humorous, and Meisel captures the body language of animals -- particularly Dog, who we see shake, cower, and become increasingly undone. The book uses three types of lettering: one for narration, another for speech bubbles, and a third for sound effects in the illustrations. The narration text is a lighter blue in yellow text boxes (potentially harder for new readers to spot); however, the words ("Dog is scared") aren't telling anything the illustrations aren't making clear, so children of all reading abilities will be able to follow the story. In the end, Dog falls asleep and dreams about chasing the storm away, and upon waking, it's gone. Dog feels like a superhero, Cat continues to be unconcerned, and readers will be amused. (c) Copyright 2024. 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
A fraidy dog and a cool cat endure a thunderstorm. As this easy-to-read graphic novel begins, both pets are napping. When two large yellow block-letter words ("RUMBLE") appear, Dog sits up, lip quavering, wondering, "What is that?" while Cat barely opens an eye to deadpan, "Nothing." As the storm waxes and wanes, parallel panels contrast the animals' responses: Dog hides under a table, behind the sofa, and then under the sofa cushion, while Cat blithely pounces on and pummels a mouse toy and stuffed duck and revels in a ball of yarn. At an especially loud "BOOM," the dog leaps, catapulting the cat from the top of the cushion for a satisfyingly dynamic moment. Dog races to the best hiding place, deep in a closet, as Cat retrieves yet another toy. In climactic frames, Dog dreams of being a superhero who combats the lightning and blows the clouds away; then Cat awakens Dog, reporting the squall's end. Dog, gazing out at the blue sky, announces, "I made the storm go away," though Cat is unimpressed. As in See Me Run (2011) and I See a Cat (2017), Meisel once more demonstrates a gift for conveying the everyday activities of pets. His digitally rendered pen-and-ink illustrations are artfully composed; with minimal text, he tells a story oozing humor and drama. A delightful display of animal antics. (Graphic early reader. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
