Princess Puffybottom . . . and Darryl
by Susin Nielsen
illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller
Date: 2019
Publisher: Tundra Books (NY)
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley
What's a pampered cat to do now that she has to compete for attention with an ill-mannered puppy? Award-winning author Susin Nielsen delights in this laugh-a-minute twist on the classic sibling rivalry story.
Princess Puffybottom has the perfect life -- her subjects serve her delicious meals, clean up her "delicate matters" and wait on her hand and foot. Life is good . . . until Darryl arrives. Princess Puffybottom thinks he's disgusting, horrid and a true animal. Though she tries everything in her power to banish him (including hypnosis, trickery and even sabotage), it looks like this puppy is here to stay. Can Princess P. and Darryl find a way to co-exist? A hilarious picture book from acclaimed author Susin Nielsen, with adorable illustrations by Olivia Chin Mueller, Princess Puffybottom . . . and Darryl is perfect for not only warring siblings, but also anyone who loves cute pets (and some toilet humor).
(synopsis from Goodreads)
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this one (cat books can be hit-or-miss for me), but this is actually a pretty funny book. Princess Puffybottom lives with her "subjects" (a lesbian couple, which was a pleasant surprise) and life is good... until the day they bring home a puppy named Darryl. Darryl offends Princess Puffybottom's sensibilities terribly; he's uncouth and disgusting (at least, in the cat's mind). Watching her try to get the puppy banished is pretty funny. She tries all sorts of tricks, but nothing works, and she eventually has to accept that the dog is there for good.
There's another story thread that's sort of running along in the background involving the women, and I didn't pick up on it right away. It's all spelled out by the end of the book, though, and it promises more aggravation for poor Princess Puffybottom. And she thought Darryl was bad!
The illustrations are really quite adorable. (Somehow, the illustrator even managed to make a pile of poop look cute!) And I appreciate the fact that the women are not only a same-sex couple, but also people of colour. It's not actually talked about in the text (it's just accepted as the way things are), but the lovely illustrations bring the characters to life. I kind of like how this was done, especially with the ending; but this makes viewing the pictures rather essential to grasping the plot.
Overall, I enjoyed this more than I thought I might. It's a good story about rivalry and jealousy, but also tolerance and acceptance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books for providing a digital ARC.
Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
Overall: 4.33 out of 5
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