THE PERFECT PET

Anyone who has ever been owned by a cat will relate to this search for the perfect pet. Three little piggies—Hamlet, Pygmalion, and Podge—are hankering for a dog. Each has its own idea what would be the best type of personality: calm and patient, bright and frisky, or warm and cuddly. Mr. Pinkerton at the pet shop suggests they take a dog home to try it out—kind of a spin around the block—and return it the next day for another until they discover their best fit. The mastiff turns out to be too big a presence. Baxter is too yippy, and the terrier is too intent on digging holes everywhere. No dog seems just right. They approach Mr. Pinkerton with a list of wants and don’t-wants: small, gentle, playful, clever, friendly—yes; digging, chewing, licking, howling, dribbling, barking—no. Mr. Pinkerton admits he’ll need the afternoon to give their demands sufficient pondering. When the pigs return, Mr. Pinkerton is waiting for them . . . with a cat. Voilà, the perfect pet, and none of those absurd dog antics to contend with. Dog lovers, of course, will take exception, but such will always be the case: with both camps, you will either be part of the solution or part of the problem, and Chataway neatly subverts the initial lust for a dog. Perhaps the most appealing of all are Hamlet, Pygmalion, and Podge, rendered as pleasingly stumpy little characters with exaggerated features. (Picture book. 4-7)