No Room for a Pup!

Young Mia lives with her mother in a small city apartment. She longs for a pooch, but Mom insists they have no room. When a neighbour’s dog has a litter of pups, Mia and Grandma concoct a plan to change Mom’s mind. One by one, neighbours appear at their door, pleading that Mom and Mia temporarily board their pets. Soon the two are fostering Grandma and her parrot, Mia’s class’s rabbit, another neighbor’s cat, and Mrs. McGillicuddy’s dog Pierre. Mayhem ensues, and the next day things get even worse. Grandma’s book club arrives (including one woman toting a pet pig) to chat and eat cupcakes. But after the book discussion concludes, everyone gradually returns to retrieve his or her pet. Suddenly, the apartment feels much bigger—so big, in fact, that when Mia asks to keep one small leftover pup (Mia has already named him Spot), Mom agrees.

Suneby and Molk’s adaptation of this traditional Yiddish folktale (see also Caldecott Honor illustrator Margot Zemach’s It Could Always Be Worse, 1977) is fresh and appealing, updated here for a modern audience more in tune with tiny, urban dwellings than rural European cottages. Molk’s mixed media illustrations exhibit a warm and friendly feel, even as the story’s ethnically diverse characters embody urbane sophistication. The scenes of mayhem are particularly chaotic, and a final illustration depicting an enormous adult Spot will please and amuse young listeners. This gentle reminder to appreciate the things one has should be welcome in any collection.