Cat Vs. Dog! Princess Puffybottom... and Darryl by Susin Nielsen

Princess Puffybottom had the perfect life.

As the only pet and cosseted cat, the Princess has it made. Her doting owners prepare delectable dishes for her dinner, and if breakfast is a bit late, a mere touch of a velvet paw has them up and dishing food out straightaway.

And they took care of more... delicate matters!

All she has to do to keep her owners happy is a bit of purring and lap-sitting and a little cutesy cat play. It's a great gig!

But then... her owners surprise her with ... Darryl the disgusting dog.

He was horrible.

Darryl chews up socks and throws them back up, along with... revolting stomach contents. He drinks from toilets. He destroys almost anything he can get in his little fangs. Princess Puffybottom is sure his departure must be imminent. And finally one of her owners takes him away. Hurray! Darryl has been summarily banished from her kingdom.But then he returns, wearing a truly stupid, totally un-chic cone around his neck. Definitely not de rigueur attire! And to make matters worse, her people seem more devoted to Darryl than ever.

She tried sabotage.

Puffybottom plants shoes where she knows Darryl will demolish them. She even, ugh, provides evidence of an, er, accident on the carpet. But her owners seem undeterred as far as Darryl's failings go.

But then Princess Puffybottom notices that Darryl is falling under her spell. He is attentive and empathetic. He is clever at getting into the garbage for some exotic snacks. And, yes, the dumb dog clearly adores her. Maybe having a admiring doggy around isn't so bad.

It's the eternal war between dogs and cats, in Susin Nielsen's brand-new Princess Puffybottom . . . and Darryl (Tundra Books, 2019),  a cat's-eye view of  being co-pets, full of critter psychology and with a surprise ending for young readers to enjoy. Nielsen's narrative tone and well-planned page turns make for some snickers, and artist Olivia Chin Mueller comes up with just the right amount of cat scheming and charm which illuminate the text. Kirkus seconds the wish pet-loving kids will feel in their starred review: "Nielsen's tale and Mueller's digitally created pooch and puss pair perfectly. . . . Princess and Darryl need a sequel."