Odd Couple: Dog and Bear: Two's Company by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

The literary pantheon of unlikely Best Friends Forever has a new pairing. Introduced in her award-winning book Dog and Bear (Neal Porter Books) (Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winner-Best Picture Book) (Awards)) introduced the odd couple of a sedate and sensible patchwork toy bear named Bear and a bouncy and impetuous young dachshund called, naturally, Dog.

Seeger's new installment in their story is Dog and Bear: Two's Company (Neal Porter Books). In this worthy sequel Seeger shows the two friends experiencing some of the stresses and strains of a close relationship that will be familiar to both very young children and old married couples.

In the first story, "Ice Cream," Dog is clearly ready to throw in the towel on the relationship:

"I am very angry with you, Bear. I am running away."

"All right, Dog, go ahead."

Bear responds temperately as Dog begins packing his valise--first with his bones and then with his beloved sticks.

"I am packing all my toys," Dog states emphatically.

"Of course you are," observes Bear. "Don't forget this one," he adds seriously, handing him his stuffed monkey.

"I am packing each and every one of my books," adds Dog, adding his copies of Lassie, 101 Dalmatians, and A Dog's Life to the stack.

"Goodbye, Dog. I suppose you won't be able to stay for ice cream."

Of course, Dog finds that he has time to stay for "just a bit" and the two sit down to savor their reconciliation and their ice cream.

In the second story, "Happy Birthday, Bear!" we see dog taking two layers from the oven and building an elaborate surprise birthday cake for Bear, complete with strawberry frosting with rainbow sprinkles and a fat red candle in the middle. "This has to be the most delicious birthday cake ever!" he says. As dog admires his work, we realize that he can scarcely bear to share it even with the birthday bear. When Dog yields to the temptation to take just a taste, we are also not surprised when he eats it all, leaving nothing on the plate but the candle and a few crumbs and stray sprinkles. Just then Bear enters the scene and Dog realizes what he has done. But before he can begin to apologize, Bear takes it all in and cries delightedly, "Oh, Dog, what a beautiful candle!"

In the third story "Sweet Dreams" Dog lies lethargically on his favorite braided rug, just a bit under the weather. "Oh, my, is there anything I could do to help? asks the solicitous Bear. Dog orders first a cup of tea, then a biscuit, a book, his fuzzy slippers, a pillow, and finally his favorite red blanket. At last the weary Bear sinks down into his chair for a rest. "Oh, Bear, are you all right? the suddenly perceptive Dog asks. "Yes, Dog, I just need to rest for a moment."

In a telling wordless two-page spread, we see the tired Bear closing his eyes and Dog covering him gently with the red blanket and a "Sweet dreams, my friend."

Simple, easy-to-read text and homey, loose brushstroke outlines make this story comfortable and cozy, easily accessible to young readers in their artless simplicity, while the understated depth of feeling between the two disparate friends speaks right to the heart. Dog and Bear are a pair like Pooh and Piglet or Frog and Toad, friends who go together like two jigsaw pieces, their differences complementing each other to form a special whole. Let's hope Laura Vaccaro Seeger has more such gentle stories of Dog and Bear to come.