ALA Booklist (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

In an episode that ultimately evolves into a warm tale of animal adoption, a solitary, middle-aged gent goes shopping for, in succession, a pillow, a footstool, and a winter coat. He comes away from each specialty shop with the same stray dog, which he tries to use and then tries to return cause as a pillow, it moves around; as a footstool, it keeps barking; and as the ruff of a coat, it farts continually. But each time, the sales clerk onomically portrayed in Geisel Award winner Weyant's broadly simple cartoon illustrations as the same man in a different loud suit rsuades him that he got what he paid for. Better yet, when the man later goes out to buy a hat, the inviting wink his canine sidekick slips to the stray cat who has been silently watching throughout has a predictable result. A final view of the man in an armchair, his feet propped up on a (conventional) footstool, and his two new animal companions in his lap makes a cozy coda.

Horn Book

This picture-book African safari introduces five lesser-known, "strange-looking" specimens (e.g., wildebeest, hyena). The patterned rhyming text lets the animals speak for themselves; each one describes its unusual features and unsavory behaviors. In a detailed grassland setting, Scheffler's charmingly homely characters showcase lots of personality. The sweet conclusion casts the ugly five in a more favorable light thanks to their loving and grateful babies. A final spread features more native savanna animals.

Kirkus Reviews

An enterprising little dog insinuates its way into the heart and home of an unsuspecting man.First seen on the street huddling with a cat for warmth, the canine enters a shop called the Pillow Place and curls up on a pile of pillows. An unnamed, mustachioed, nearsighted white man is rather unobservant and mistakenly chooses the puppy for his bed. But this "pillow" does not conform to expectations, moving around and leaving the man sleepless. He tries to return the "broken" item, but, as the smarmy, white clerk points out, it is soft and fluffy and therefore "not broken." The canine protagonist then emulates a footstool that at home is too noisy but very comfy. The jacket the man next purchases has a furry dog collar that makes stinky burps and belches, but the man has to admit it is indeed warm and cozy. Finally he realizes the truth and names his new friend Jackie. On their way to buy a new hat, Jackie winks at the orange cat, who has been lurking patiently in nearly every scene, and—voilà, a cat hat. Gehl's tale is slight and wonderfully silly. Weyant's clever, brightly hued, digitally enhanced watercolor-and-ink cartoons provide details that enlarge the action and greatly add to the fun. Little readers will delight in being more sharply tuned to events than the confused gentleman and will gleefully point out the visual clues.A sweet gigglefest. (Picture book. 3-6)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

A guy walks into a pillow store, and from there, Gehl and Weyant-s story becomes increasingly silly and delightful. The gentleman-a mustachioed, bespectacled, mild-mannered fellow who lives alone-believes he is making three perfectly normal purchases: a pillow, a footstool, and a jacket. In each case, readers can see that the purchase is actually a clever stray dog looking for a warm home. When the man-s purchases start acting strangely (the pillow moves, the footstool howls, the jacket burps and farts), he tries to return them to an unctuous, unyielding salesman, who insists that the items meet all the necessary criteria (-Is your pillow fluffy?- he asks. -Then your pillow is not broken, sir-). The all-dialogue text and classic New Yorker-style cartooning (Weyant is a regular contributor to the magazine) prove how powerfully funny repetition can be. Adult readers may be reminded of Monty Python-s -Dead Parrot- sketch, although in this case, the critter is very much alive and everyone comes away happy. Ages 4-8. Author-s agent: Erzsi Deak, Hen & Ink. Illustrator-s agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Jan.)

School Library Journal (Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2018)

PreS-Gr 2 Shivering outside The Pillow Place storefront, a dog hatches a plan to find a home. Snuggling among the cushions, the resourceful little dog is purchased and goes home with a customer. Although the pup has all the qualities of a soft and fluffy pillow, she's returned to the store; the man complains that the pillow keeps moving. At the Furniture Barn, the same customer buys a footstoolit's the jaunty pooch again. The footstool is returned, this time, for being too noisy. Readers will root for the dog, anticipating what object the animal will impersonate next to win the man's heart. The final act where a cat works its way into the new family is a delight. Reminiscent of Arthur Howard's Hoodwinked , Gehl's charming story leaves the audience wondering when the lonely man will catch on to the companionship the animals can offer. Weyant's cartoon images, with labels and captions, replace a narrative text. Humorous and lively, the cartoons keep readers in on the joke, but can occasionally feel adult in look and sensibility. VERDICT A sublimely silly tale for pet lovers, suitable for storytimes and one-on-one sharing. Sarah Webb, City and Country School Library, NY