The Perfect Friend - Hardcover

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PreSchool-Grade 1–Archie, the family dog, has been promised a surprise. Previous surprises–a goldfish, a turtle, a rabbit–have not been suitable playmates. This time the family brings home Max, a wriggling, snuffling bundle in a cradle. Now no one, not Mother or Father nor Grandma or Grandpa, pays any attention to Archie, even when he acts out by peeing in the house. At last they notice him forlorn under a chair and, in turn, each one of them tries to cheer him up. It's not until Max, now walking, throws him a ball that Archie's dream of finding a perfect friend comes true. The fact that this book is about adjusting to a new baby is slowly developed. Readers at first will more likely fixate on the visual portrayal of Archie, who wears flowered boxers and walks upright. When sporting his overcoat and umbrella on the opening pages, he looks more like a dandy than a dog. Plus, the scene where he pees into the shoe is as visually disturbing as it is funny: Is this a dog or a boy? The depiction of the baby in his red stocking cap could be questioned as well: Is this an infant or a troll? Vibrant paintings humorously depict each scene and the bug-eyed characters with stylized precision. This wacky, rather sophisticated look at redefining familial roles may not be everyone's cup of tea but it does reflect a unique perspective.–Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
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PreS-Gr. 2. Archie, a russet-colored hound who wears clothes and walks on two legs, dreams of having a friend. His human family has promised a surprise, but he is horrified when the gift turns out to be a baby--a "wriggling, snuffling bundle" named Max. Archie fumes (and pees into shoes) when Max gets most of the attention. His family tries to cheer him up with misguided diversions--uncomfortable bike rides, absurd puppet shows--until, at last, Max grows old enough to play with Archie, and Archie realizes that Max is the friend he has always wished for. Kulikov's sometimes surreal paintings extend Romanova's smooth, descriptive text with clever, artful humor. Very young children may miss the meaning in a few images, such as a scene of shrinking silhouettes indicating Archie's dwindling sense of importance after the baby comes. But children, especially those who have faced a new baby in their midst, will easily see themselves in Archie's initial fury and grudging acceptance. A sly, imaginative departure from typical stories about an older sibling's displacement when a new baby arrives. Gillian Engberg
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