Cute & Cuter

April 15, 2013
Maximally cute indeed, this comic strip–style tale examines the tense relationship between a forlorn dog and his owner’s brand-new cat. For her birthday, sugar-sweet Janie Jane gets “the cutest thing she’d ever seen: Sir Yips-a-lot.” A montage shows the kewpie doll–faced girl and her roly-poly pal spending a blissful year together until, “before they knew it, it was Janie Jane’s birthday again!” With an open-mouthed “gasp”—written in large floating letters that dominate the panel—Janie opens a package to reveal a saucer-eyed kitten (“She is soooo cute! And Meow-y!”), dubbed Lady Meow-meow. After his charming tricks and mournful howls fail to win back Janie’s affections, Sir Yips-a-lot launches “Operation Cute-Be-Gone,” ejecting tiny, helpless Lady Meow-meow out the mail slot and into the suburban night. Soon, his guilt gets the better of him. Townsend (Monkey and Elephant’s Worst Fight Ever!) composes treacly conversations, breathless overstatements, yips, and meows that demand to be read in squeaky voices. His saccharine, pastel-hued comics imply satire yet can be read without irony, accompanied by plenty of giggling. Ages 5–8. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management.

May 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 2-Janie Jane, "an expert on all things cute," receives the cutest dog ever for her birthday, Sir Yips-a-lot. The two do everything together, until one year later when Janie Jane receives "The World's Cutest Kitty" as a gift. Sir Yips-a-lot tries in vain to regain his position; he makes his cutest faces and does his cutest tricks, but to no avail. In a fit of jealousy, he pops Lady Meow-meow out the mail slot and into the dark night. His victory is short-lived as Janie Jane is inconsolable. So fearing the worst, but needing to do the right thing, the pup heads out to find Lady Meow-meow, who joyfully licks Sir Yips-a-lot while Janie Jane declares, "THIS IS THE CUTEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN!" From then on the three are inseparable, until one year later when Janie Jane gets the cutest octopus ever....Picture book and comic book successfully combine here. There are dialogue balloons with fun fonts (and hearts) and panels of various sizes, plus narrative text and traditional full-page pictures. The illustrations, reminiscent of Nick Jr. cartoons, are crisp, clean, and digitally colored in bright, bold shades. Excellent facial expressions add warmth, and plenty of exclamation points (including implied ones) emphasize cuteness. Sure to be popular with the comic-book and the overkill-is-funny crowds.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2013
Janie Jane's birthday presents are cute--and in competition for her attention. When Janie Jane, maven of cute, receives the adorable puppy Sir Yips-a-lot, she is in cute heaven. The two spend all their time together until Janie Jane's next birthday, when she opens the pink packaging to reveal an even more adorable gift: a kitten. Lady Meow-Meow captures her new owner's heart, and the inevitable occurs: Sir Yips-a-lot feels left out and plans the demise of this feline interloper. Seeing Janie Jane's distress, the dog repents and rushes to correct his transgression. The search and rescue of the little kitty allows the two pets to make amends and appreciate each another. Each spread is a lively mixture of comic-book elements such as speech bubbles, small and large frames, exaggerated types to show emotion and traditional narration. The design often overwhelms the story--at times readers need some relief from the garish, supersaturated blues, greens and pinks. The art style is comedic as well, with wide-mouthed grins and billiard-ball eyes the order of the day. The simplistic style will be easy for young readers to imitate if they want to continue the story on their own. Families with a new baby might find this helpful for older children exploring their own feelings of jealousy. Others may find Townsend's delivery is just too darn effective. Cute overload. (Picture book. 4-7)

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