The Steinbeck novel’s Cain/Abel motif gets some play here, as Petey, “world’s evilest cat” and cloned Li’l Petey’s original, tries assiduously to tempt his angelic counterpart over to the dark side only to be met, ultimately at least, by Li’l Petey’s “Thou mayest.” (There are also occasional direct quotes from the novel.) But inner struggles between good and evil assume distinctly subordinate roles to riotous outer ones, as Petey repurposes robots built for a movie about the exploits of Dog Man-“the thinking man’s Rin Tin Tin”-while leading a general rush to the studio’s costume department for appropriate good guy/bad guy outfits in preparation for the climactic battle. Recasting Dog Man and his feline ward, Li’l Petey, as costumed superheroes, Pilkey looks East of Eden in this follow-up to Tale of Two Kitties (2017).
Swimmingly delightful and a guaranteed smile-maker. The incessant charm and unabashed joy should make this an easy sell. Together, Narwhal and Jelly navigate the intricacies of making a friendship work, discovering that friends can share a great time together even when engaged in the most pedestrian activities. When Narwhal gets a good idea, his tusk lights up to emit jolly, ochre lines Jelly’s sometimes-dour moods are communicated with scribbly black clouds hovering overhead. Expression lines visually punctuate the illustrations, giving the characters a lively boost. Cool pelagic blues mingle with a merry sunshine yellow over simple, line-based characters, creating a homespun, whimsical feel that works well to evince their buoyant escapades and uncomplicated happiness. Jokes abound, giving this a lighthearted animated sensibility. Their aquatic adventures are plentiful: they read books together, try to form a not-exclusively-narwhal pod, and daydream about waffles and robots.
Narwhal has never met a jellyfish, and Jelly has never met a narwhal the two learn about each other through a lively exchange of facts. One day the unceasingly cheerful Narwhal finds himself “in new waters” and meets his soon-to-be best friend, the slightly apprehensive Jelly the jellyfish. Undersea adventures have never been so darn cute.
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