Bow-Wow Bugs a Bug

Bow-Wow has a big day in store. He has breakfast to eat and...what's that?! A bug has invaded his territory. Bow-Wow Bugs a Bug is a wordless picture book with a lot going for it. In this nearly comic book format, quite a story is told for readers to interpret as they like. Mini stories make up each page and they all combine to form the whole of Bow-Wow's day. And what an unusual day it is. You wouldn't believe what can happen if you follow a bug around your beat. My kids positively pour over this book. They will flip a page, dissolve into giggles and call me over to see the next exploit. Bow-Wow deals with just the types of things that appeal to a child's sense of humor. And I think it's pretty funny, too. I believe this is the type of book that will help pre-readers develop a love of books because it will get them turning pages and using their imaginations. Be aware, though, that this is not a board book. Though it will be great fun for toddlers to look through, it will require parental hands to stay intact. I think the prime target age is 4 to 6. At least my three in that range loved it. They give it six little thumbs up. Armchair Interviews says: These little thumbs can't be wrong!

Sometimes a book just falls into your lap without rhyme, reason, or explanation and you're left gaping like a fish until someone's able to tell you something about it. Well "Bow-Wow Bugs a Bug" fell into my lap and due to its very nature I've been left gaping for some time. I gotta say, this is one of the weirder creations to float down the river, and I'm torn between being utterly charmed by it and marching over to Harcourt Books to DEMAND the story of its creation. Basically, what we have here is softy Megan Montague Cash joining forces with Mark Newgarden to produce a picture book about a curious dog. Who is Mark Newgarden? Well, in a recent interview I learned that he's an alt-comic mastermind with the book, We All Die Alone already under his belt. He's lived in a converted funeral parlor, has a great take on Tijuana Bibles, and once deconstructed the comic strip Nancy. The next thing you know he turns around and produces something called, "Bow-Wow Bugs a Bug." An inconsistency? Not in the least. Though he's curbed his style to the world of wordless picture book adventures, this title uses its misleading simplicity to lure the reader into a false sense of complacency. Then, BAM! It ratchets up the weirdness meter to 110%. With a clear sense of its artist's comic-laden past, and a firm grounding in what makes a picture book "good," Newgarden and Cash have produced the weirdest bit of kidlit fluff I've seen in a very long time. Their tongues are planted firmly in their cheeks and they know how to play for laughs by balancing out visual humor with sheer out-and-out ridiculousness. Impressive. A single black dot makes a leap off a pure white page towards a sleeping terrier. The pup wakes up and begins his day only to find himself somewhat entranced by the insect in his presence. Without thinking much about it he proceeds to follow the bug around a single city block. Slowly the situation grows more and more surreal as Newgarden and Cash begin to play off of expected norms. When pup and bug meet their identical twins it's a great excuse for a series of panels where they try to get the other to do something different. Things get curiouser still. Giant dogs follow tiny bugs. Hundreds of dogs follow hundreds of bugs. And then, in a kind of coup de grace, hundreds of gigantic bugs follow hundreds of tiny dogs. Exhausted and more than a touch weirded out, Bow-Wow heads for home where pup and insect can settle down for a good long sleep. It's not really fair when a reviewer is handed a book with a blurb like this on the back cover: "What an odd, sweet, surreal, and hilarious adventure from Newgarden and Cash. It's what Crockett Johnson, Ernie Bushmiller, and Rod Serling might have come up with if they shared a bench at the doggie park. I love it!" Well thank you sooooooo much, Lane Smith. First of all, being that Newgarden's a huge Bushmiller fan, I suspect Mr. Smith was being coy with his references. But the fact of the matter is that this nails the t

Very funny, cute, and surrealistic! I don't want to give away any spoilers by describing details of the book because there are surprises the first time you open it up... and anyway this is a visual work and is meant to be seen and not just read about.

The art is gorgeous, and the wordless story is surprising and imaginative and the pacing is impeccable.

Take one part Crockett Johnson, add one part James Thurber, and one part Buster Keaton. Add a dash of Samuel Beckett. Separate the words and set them aside for Sunday's crossword puzzle. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of unique graphic brilliance. Mix well and spread evenly on 56 pages. Cut off crusts and serve at bedtime with a glass of milk. Bow-Wow...WOW!