Bow-Wow’s Nightmare Neighbors by Mark Newgarden (review)

In this wordless book, golden little Bow-Wow is peacefully sleeping when a trio of wee ghostly kittens sneaks his cushion out from underneath him. The determined dog tracks the thieves to the creepy old mansion next door, where he encounters a multitude of cats, who have a fondness for biting his tail. Bow-Wow eventually finds his cushion among an array of others—which are all serving as the padding for a humongous white cat. After biting the big cat’s tail, Bow-Wow makes his hasty exit, but when lightning strikes the old mansion the cats befriend the dog and cozily join him in his house. The transitions are confusing at times, so it takes some sophisticated visual decoding, but it’s a humorous tale; it unfolds with the cheerful anarchy of an old-school cartoon, with lively smaller events (Bow-Wow scares off a burglar and flushes an annoying kitty down the toilet) keeping viewer interest as the pup tours the house. The thickly lined digital art evinces a whimsical yet sturdy charm; the palette livens up its ominous gray backgrounds with touches of color in Bow-Wow’s gold and the green of the cushion (and occasional cushion lookalikes), while rounded edges and toylike simplicity control the scare factor. This isn’t quite up to the standard of Varon’s wordless Robot Dreams (BCCB 11/07), but it’s an amusing readalone for kids who find words get in the way of their enjoyment.