I Don't Like Gloria! (review)

Gloria is a cat, and the narrator, Calvin, is a woebegone dog whose life has been turned upside down by Gloria's arrival ("The first thing she did was eat out of my bowl. MY bowl"). As family newcomers tend to, she soaks up all the attention, while poor Calvin gets scolded for objecting. Things change, though, when Jeffrey the bunny joins the family: Calvin and Gloria still don't like each other, but they find a point of union in their shared resentment of Jeffrey. This has clear similarities to siblingesque pet dramas such as Jenkins' That New Animal (BCCB 3/05) and Voake's Ginger (BCCB 4/97), but the resolution here is refreshingly tart. The text gains both pathos and power from its simplicity, and kids will only empathize the more as a result of Calvin's clear pleasure in feeling sorry for himself (skilled readers-aloud could also use exaggeration to make this splendidly comedic). Even audiences unmoved by the text will melt at the illustrations, which feature a puppyishly small, big-eyed Calvin (in the foreshortened view familiar from popular doggy photos) often gazing out sadly at the viewer (he's even reduced to tears at one point). Digitally colored pencil illustrations balance softly grainy sweeps and casual strokes with planes of sweet yet subdued color. Kids will likely be ruefully familiar with the situation of opportunistic alliance, and even if they're not they'll relish the idea of taking adorable Calvin home and soothing his ruffled fur.