Pepper & Poe

Pepper enjoys life as an only cat. We see Pepper dozing on Sunday, playing with toys on Monday, and tormenting the dog on Tuesday. “But on Wednesday, something changed.” Presented with a little white kitten (“Look what I have for you!” says Pepper’s human), Pepper reacts with horror as the kitten becomes increasingly disruptive on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Inevitably, Sunday brings a crisis in which the kitten causes a terrifying avalanche and needs to be comforted. Suddenly, the two become allies, blaming the dog for the mess. Preston-Gannon’s graphically sophisticated treatment shows a gray Pepper and a brown dog against a flat black background. Why black? The seemingly random choice becomes clear when the little all-white kitten joins the cast, becoming the focal point on each spread. Digital illustrations have the appearance of mixed-media collage, and the handwritten-style typeface (Litterbox ICG!) is well chosen. The cats are drafted with simple shapes, their postures and large eyes broadcasting their emotions perfectly. While the days-of-the-week trope provides a pleasing structure, the idea that the situation could be diffused so quickly might be overly optimistic. But the use of humor and animal characters lightens any hint of a heavy message in this story of sibling rivalry. lolly robinson

Pepper enjoys life as an only cat, dozing, playing, and tormenting the dog. "But on Wednesday, something changed." Presented with a kitten, Pepper reacts with horror. By Sunday the two have become allies, blaming the dog for a mess. The use of humor and animal characters lightens any hint of a heavy message in this story of sibling rivalry.