MY PILLOW KEEPS MOVING!

An enterprising little dog insinuates its way into the heart and home of an unsuspecting man.

First seen on the street huddling with a cat for warmth, the canine enters a shop called the Pillow Place and curls up on a pile of pillows. An unnamed, mustachioed, nearsighted white man is rather unobservant and mistakenly chooses the puppy for his bed. But this “pillow” does not conform to expectations, moving around and leaving the man sleepless. He tries to return the “broken” item, but, as the smarmy, white clerk points out, it is soft and fluffy and therefore “not broken.” The canine protagonist then emulates a footstool that at home is too noisy but very comfy. The jacket the man next purchases has a furry dog collar that makes stinky burps and belches, but the man has to admit it is indeed warm and cozy. Finally he realizes the truth and names his new friend Jackie. On their way to buy a new hat, Jackie winks at the orange cat, who has been lurking patiently in nearly every scene, and—voilà, a cat hat. Gehl’s tale is slight and wonderfully silly. Weyant’s clever, brightly hued, digitally enhanced watercolor-and-ink cartoons provide details that enlarge the action and greatly add to the fun. Little readers will delight in being more sharply tuned to events than the confused gentleman and will gleefully point out the visual clues.

A sweet gigglefest.