The Welcome Home

Bates (Joey) introduces the Gargleson-Bittles, lone denizens of a sprawling house who feel that something’s missing from their lives. Fair-skinned Mr. Gargleson is built like a quarterback, and spouse Ms. Bittle, portrayed with brown skin, sports overalls. It’s clear what they’re longing for: “They both wanted something a little bit lick-your-face-play-fetch-roll-over.” Naturally, they get a snail, named Gordon, whom “they admired as they watched it make its way across the table.” Now desiring something “more waggy,” they next get an elephant named Louis. And in search of something more “lick-your-face,” they obtain an aardvark called Sam and a whale named Eugene. Eugene quickly hits it off with Gordon, and the menagerie keeps growing. Gentle colored pencil hatching; stylish, angular figures; and extensive images of the couple’s many rooms (including a theater and a pool) lend a sense of order to the story’s mayhem. Though the joke centers on the couple’s inability to land on the right pet, readers will be just as entertained by the animals’ scene-stealing friendships and activities. Ages 4–8. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (Sept.)