THE KERFUFFLE

The fur flies in this clever tale of a friendship’s dissolution and subsequent resolution.

Neighbors Kitty and Pup are the best of pals. All that changes on the day Kitty eats Pup’s fish and Pup purloins Kitty’s slipper. Now the best of friends are the worst of enemies. Together the animals build a wall separating their residences, with the book’s flaps allowing readers to glimpse what’s happening on either side. Peace reigns once the wall is done, until the day an adorable bunny appears on top of it. Both cat and dog are determined to befriend the rabbit, a plan that leads first to catastrophe but eventually yields a solution that mends old hurts and makes everyone happy. In this French import, Perrin has filled the pages to overflowing with tiny details. Sharp-eyed readers will notice a mouse feeding and rescuing a caged friend on Kitty’s side of the wall, a pair of birds starting a life together, and more. Meanwhile, the book’s strategically placed flaps adeptly advance the storyline, culminating in a broken wall, its gaps clear and present. With the storytelling and art seamlessly blended, the flaps are a necessity to the plot rather than a gimmick or an artistic trick.

Form and function meld with fun and whimsy in a tale of the futility of building walls.