The main text of Cat Dog Dog: The Story of a Blended Family employs only nine different words, and that includes noises ("Grrr..."). How is it, then, that debut author Nelly Buchet leaves readers with the impression that they have just enjoyed a picture book magnum opus about the intricacies of the stepfamily?
As Cat Dog Dog begins, a man carrying moving boxes returns home to his oblivious dog ("Dog"). Meanwhile, a woman's two pets ("Dog / Cat") cohabitate agreeably, a "Hisss..." notwithstanding. When the man and his dog move in with the woman and her pets, things are amusingly strained: the woman's dog destroys the man's shoe. There's dog-on-dog tension at the food bowls. A backyard chase ("Bird") earns the pet trio some censure, complete with matching cones of shame.
Given Cat Dog Dog's minimalist text, it's tempting to conclude that Andrea Zuill (Wolf Camp) is doing the book's heavy lifting; she's responsible for charmingly fuss-free illustrations, like a cozy, droll, two-page spread showing the pets' eventual acceptance of their new living situation: together they pose in Halloween costumes, ogle a fresh-cooked turkey and look out the window at falling snow. But Buchet's bold black text itself is actually essential to the book's visual presentation: by fusing the animals' names on the page as "Dog Dog Cat," "Dog Cat Dog" and "Cat Dog Dog," the author signals their bond. Of course, having strength in numbers will come in handy when the pets must face the biggest challenge of their blended lives (hint: "Waaaah!"). --Nell Beram, freelance writer and YA author