From Publishers Weekly
A canine narrator measures the changes in his standard of living when his one-man, one-dog household grows to include first a woman, then a cat and, finally, a baby. No Pollyanna, the dog candidly acknowledges turns for the worse: the dog has to yield his spot on the couch to the woman, the cat hides the best toys under the couch and the baby dislodges both cat and dog from the family bed. But he also learns to recognize new benefits (the woman "plays a great game of chase," the cat "shares his milk (sometimes)" and the baby "makes me laugh"). Koehler's message is all the more palatable for its lack of sugarcoating. Her illustrations--tissue and construction paper collages--are both delicate in their treatment of light and pattern and reassuringly substantial in their compositions. Like the theme of her story, her art honors balance and harmony. Ages 2-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
A dog's point of view on an expanding family: first it's a woman, then a cat and a baby. With each new arrival, there are problems and compensations: when the dog's master falls in love, he gives shorter walks, but his new wife's cooking is superior; the dog and cat are both ousted from the bed after the baby comes, but now there are plenty of crumbs on the floor. Koehler's simple text is nicely cadenced and right to the point; her collages of brightly painted tissue, with roughly drawn yet expressive figures snipped from heavier paper, have a dog's-eye view that the artist uses to good advantage in focusing on significant details. The animals make fine nondidactic surrogates for older siblings. An attractive slant on an old story. (Picture book. 2-7) --
Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
