Our New Puppy

I admit right up front to being a complete sucker for Barry Moser's astonishing artwork, so you can imagine my delight when I found that Moser had not only illustrated "Our New Puppy," but that he had collaborated on it with his granddaughter, Isabelle Harper!"Our New Puppy" doesn't have much in the way of plot--will the new puppy be accepted or not by the older dog?--but what it lacks in fascinating events it more than makes up for in the way of gorgeous, glowing illustrations. I don't know for certain, but I feel that Moser must work from photographs--the illustrations have a nearly photographic quality to them with all the best elements of that art form and none of the worst. He does an especially fine job at giving the sundry cats and dogs in the book subtly evocative expressions of their own, and the little girls (Isabelle and Eliza) are rendered with the warmth only a loving grandfather could muster. This is a wonderful treat for anyone bringing a new pet into a home that already had pets, and it's a must for Barry Moser fans.