Yes & No

March 15, 2021
The maxim that cats and dogs get along like...well, cats and dogs, is upended. The unseen guardian of a cat and dog awakens the pets cheerfully, asks how they slept, offers breakfast, invites them to clean up and play together, then suggests they frolic outside. To every comment, the canine responds affirmatively; the feline--quite the opposite. For example, does it want food? Answer: "I already ate." Will it help clean? The haughty response: "Never." Backyard merriment doesn't go well, as the dog attacks the clothesline and digs holes, and the cat climbs a tree. Finally commanded to play together farther from home, the duo are depicted wordlessly marveling at nature in engaging, colorful panoramic spreads. Eventually, they have a grand time--and the tables get turned. When the owner finally summons the pair home, the cat willingly complies. However, the pooch, now the naysaying contrarian, only reluctantly accedes to its human's ideas, expressing sorrow the great day is over. A calming, reassuring reminder to the dog at the conclusion sets things right, and, in a comic twist, the animals' customary natures are restored. This sweet, gentle story reminds youngsters that yes and no have their proper places and times and that all good things don't necessarily end. The deceptively simply drawn, definitively lined ink-and-watercolor illustrations with their limited palette capture the animals' lively personalities well; ample white space focuses attention on their activities. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 85.9% of actual size.) Children will say, "Yes!" to this delightful charmer. (Picture book. 3-6)

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Starred review from June 1, 2021

PreS-Dogs and cats, similar to siblings, can be glued at the hip or loose acquaintances. There are three voices in this picture book. Bold type tells readers that an owner/child is posing a question: "Are you both excited for the day?" Roman type shows the dog's answer-"Yes I am excited"-while the cat's answer is italics: "Hmpff." This pattern meets everything asked, from the early morning to the late evening. The dog replies yes with lots of tail wagging to all questions and the cat responds with little movement and a simple no. The questioner wants the two to get along and play, but they seem to find their own mischief separately. The two are sent outside to play and to look after each other. The next pages are textless and show them enjoying each other's company and the larger environment. Afterward, the two settle down for the evening and the day is done, at least for one of the pets. This book is so simple in terms of the storytelling, yet readers can easily relate to the characters and their feelings. Beautiful illustrations sometimes fill the entire page and other times spotlight two or more scenes. The illustrations can also move in unique directions across the page, which keeps the reader guessing and looking for what's next. The story itself is simple and sweet in nature as we see the two main characters go from mildly interacting to fused together in their walk outside. VERDICT A spare and wonderful addition to picture book collections.-Katie Llera, Bound Brook Elem. Sch., NJ

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2021
Cooper brings readers the sweet tale of a cat and a dog, different as can be, illustrated in the same unfussy, minimalistic style as his Caldecott Honor-winning Big Cat, Little Cat (rev. 3/17). The story kicks off in the morning, during which an unseen narrator talks to the pets, who are yin and yang opposites. Their short responses are printed next to each pet (italic type for the cat, roman type for the dog), the jaded cat responding with countless nos and the enthusiastic dog answering with every kind of yes. The question "Are you both excited for the day?" is met with an eager affirmative from the dog, while the cat responds, "Hmpff." Cooper's variations on the responses and the creative ways he captures the pets' personalities with loose-lined, gestural illustrations in warm watercolors propel the story. After they are shooed out of the house and told to "look out for each other," we are treated to four expansive and eloquent wordless spreads in which the two climb a nearby hill and, side by side, take in the exhilarating view of a lake and mountains. Dog lovers everywhere will recognize the sad "Nooooo" howled when it's time for the pets to come inside at day's end. Yes, indeed. Julie Danielson

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from March 15, 2021
Preschool-Grade 1 *Starred Review* As a cat returns from its nighttime prowls, the narrator asks if her pets are ready for the day. While the awakening puppy eagerly replies "Yes," the sleek black cat grumpily retorts "No" and settles down for a snooze on their shared blanket. The puppy's body language is spot on: he's excited about everything from eating to playing to going outside. Meanwhile, the aloof feline eludes the frantic dog by climbing onto the mantle and hiding in the bathtub. The puppy's enthusiasm and his frenetic activities are engaging as he flits from one occupation to another, voicing "yes, yes, yes" as his boundless energy sends him all around the backyard--the calm cat perches on the fence and in a tree. After the pup is scolded for tearing up the yard, the two animals venture into the countryside where they sit comfortably together, taking in the beauty and peace surrounding them. Eight wordless pages with serene pictures extending from margin to margin reveal the companionship the two have forged during their outing. When called to go inside, the puppy's demeanor (and repeated "no, no, no") reveal his disappointment that the day is now over. Delightful ink-and-watercolor illustrations outline everything in thick black ink and leave plenty of white space as a backdrop to the animals' perfect day.

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January 1, 2021
Cooper brings readers the sweet tale of a cat and a dog, different as can be, illustrated in the same unfussy, minimalistic style as his Caldecott Honor-winning Big Cat, Little Cat (rev. 3/17). The story kicks off in the morning, during which an unseen narrator talks to the pets, who are yin and yang opposites. Their short responses are printed next to each pet (italic type for the cat, roman type for the dog), the jaded cat responding with countless nos and the enthusiastic dog answering with every kind of yes. The question "Are you both excited for the day?" is met with an eager affirmative from the dog, while the cat responds, "Hmpff." Cooper's variations on the responses and the creative ways he captures the pets' personalities with loose-lined, gestural illustrations in warm watercolors propel the story. After they are shooed out of the house and told to "look out for each other," we are treated to four expansive and eloquent wordless spreads in which the two climb a nearby hill and, side by side, take in the exhilarating view of a lake and mountains. Dog lovers everywhere will recognize the sad "Nooooo" howled when it's time for the pets to come inside at day's end. Yes, indeed.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)