The Welcome Home
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- £8.49
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- £8.49
Publisher Description
“The gorgeous illustrations and lovely storyline make this an instant classic.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
From the creator of The Big Umbrella comes another poetic and lushly illustrated picture book about the joy of companionship and there always being room for one more in this tale about the search for the perfect pet.
Mr. and Mrs. Gargleson-Bittle are looking for a change. Their life has become too quiet, and little changes like eating waffles only help for a moment. They decide to get a pet—but what kind should they have? First they welcome a snail into their home, then an elephant named Louise, then an aardvark named Sam.
One by one they come, and while the house is definitely no longer quiet, Mr. and Mrs. Gargleson-Bittle still have room and love for more. Could this waggy, lick-your-face puppy be what makes their family complete?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bates (Joey) introduces the Gargleson-Bittles, lone denizens of a sprawling house who feel that something's missing from their lives. Fair-skinned Mr. Gargleson is built like a quarterback, and spouse Ms. Bittle, portrayed with brown skin, sports overalls. It's clear what they're longing for: "They both wanted something a little bit lick-your-face-play-fetch-roll-over." Naturally, they get a snail, named Gordon, whom "they admired as they watched it make its way across the table." Now desiring something "more waggy," they next get an elephant named Louis. And in search of something more "lick-your-face," they obtain an aardvark called Sam and a whale named Eugene. Eugene quickly hits it off with Gordon, and the menagerie keeps growing. Gentle colored pencil hatching; stylish, angular figures; and extensive images of the couple's many rooms (including a theater and a pool) lend a sense of order to the story's mayhem. Though the joke centers on the couple's inability to land on the right pet, readers will be just as entertained by the animals' scene-stealing friendships and activities. Ages 4–8.
