SEAHORSES ARE SOLD OUT

When Dad says Mika can get a pet, the kid gets carried away in this import from Germany by way of New Zealand.

Mika’s father promises they can go to the lake when his work’s finished. Bored playing alone, Mika tells Dad a pet will make it easier to let Dad work in peace. Dad distractedly gives Mika his wallet, and Mika selects a mouse at the pet store. When the store owner calls Dad to check about the mouse, Mika overhears Dad tell him, “Just sell the kid whatever.” Mika enjoys playing with the mouse, but the next morning he’s missing. Back at the pet store, Mika buys a puppy to help find the mouse. When the puppy finds the mouse but makes a mess in the bathroom, Mika buys a seal to oversee the bathroom. Then comes a penguin to teach the mouse how to swim in the tub, a parrot to cheer up the sulking penguin, and a baby elephant to drown out the parrot’s chatter. Oblivious to the messy menagerie exploding within his house, Mika’s workaholic father finishes his project and is ready for that lake trip. But what about the new pets? Lively, colorful illustrations drawn in loose black outlines track this incredible saga of a bored kid, an opportunistic pet-shop owner, and a clueless father in comic double-page spreads chronicling Mika’s wild, unsupervised activities, culminating in a surprising climax. With the exception of a few people at the lake, all characters present White.

Absolutely hilarious.