The Welcome Home

Mr. and Ms. Gargleson-Bittle seem to be missing something in their life. Waffles don’t cure the problem. They want something soft and waggy that will play fetch and let them give belly rubs, so they get a… snail. It doesn’t satisfy their needs. They want something bigger, so they get an elephant. They like the snail and the elephant, but maybe something that will lick their faces. So they get an aardvark and a whale. But they still want something that will play fetch, so naturally they get a cat. And on it goes. Will Mr. and Ms. Gargleson-Bittle ever find the perfect thing to complete their menagerie and their home?

Amy June Bates is both the author and the illustrator of this unusual picture book. Rarely does one see a children’s book without children in it, but there are none, and yet this works really well and will engage little ones in all the glorious silliness of this story. Youngsters will know exactly what this couple needs, and they will giggle all the way through as the couple bumbles around. The illustrations complete the story perfectly with lots of silly details to keep youngsters involved. Don’t miss this one.