What do you think?
Rate this book
Two Together
In this companion book to They All Saw a Cat and Inside Cat , a journey home leads to unexpected adventures for a cat and dog. A playful, imaginative story of friendship, empathy, and discovery by Caldecott Honor winner Brendan Wenzel.
Cat and Dog are headed home. A simple route lies ahead of them . . . or does it? There’s so much to see and smell and hear, and the two of them experience the world very differently. A stream, for instance, is watery fun for Dog, but it may not be so delightful for Cat!
As their journey becomes an adventure full of unexpected twists and turns, Cat and Dog show that it’s possible for two creatures to travel in the world together despite their distinctive perspectives and abilities—and even to appreciate and enjoy them. With the irresistible read-aloud appeal of Brendan Wenzel’s They All Saw a Cat , winner of the Caldecott Honor , this is a funny, exuberant companion tale that’s an imaginative tribute to empathy, friendship, and understanding.
RESPECTING Cat and Dog experience life in almost opposite ways. Through their eyes, children will see how the same situation or problem can be handled differently depending on the perspective and ability of the creature living through it, building their empathy and understanding.
DELIGHTFUL This picture book is full of visual surprises and Easter eggs, and readers will love turning back to find details that hint at developments to come on the journey. The dog's and cat’s art styles evolve throughout, becoming more developed and exaggerated but ending with a unified style that incorporates both their points of view as their friendship is affirmed and strengthened.
ENCOURAGES The path home is both a familiar route and a new experience as Cat and Dog make surprising—sometimes unpleasant—discoveries along the way. The subtle message about appreciating the small moments in everyday routines and the possibilities that await when we step outside them is perfect for young readers.
BELOVED AUTHOR/ Brendan Wenzel is a bestselling author, Caldecott Honor–winning artist, and sought-after speaker at schools and libraries. His books They All Saw a Cat , Hello Hello , A Stone Sat Still , and Inside Cat have received multiple awards and starred reviews and are family and classroom favorites.
FUN READ-ALOUD Rhythmic text coupled with compelling artwork and a comforting ending make this perfect for story time, bedtime, or both!
Perfect
Cat and Dog are headed home. A simple route lies ahead of them . . . or does it? There’s so much to see and smell and hear, and the two of them experience the world very differently. A stream, for instance, is watery fun for Dog, but it may not be so delightful for Cat!
As their journey becomes an adventure full of unexpected twists and turns, Cat and Dog show that it’s possible for two creatures to travel in the world together despite their distinctive perspectives and abilities—and even to appreciate and enjoy them. With the irresistible read-aloud appeal of Brendan Wenzel’s They All Saw a Cat , winner of the Caldecott Honor , this is a funny, exuberant companion tale that’s an imaginative tribute to empathy, friendship, and understanding.
RESPECTING Cat and Dog experience life in almost opposite ways. Through their eyes, children will see how the same situation or problem can be handled differently depending on the perspective and ability of the creature living through it, building their empathy and understanding.
DELIGHTFUL This picture book is full of visual surprises and Easter eggs, and readers will love turning back to find details that hint at developments to come on the journey. The dog's and cat’s art styles evolve throughout, becoming more developed and exaggerated but ending with a unified style that incorporates both their points of view as their friendship is affirmed and strengthened.
ENCOURAGES The path home is both a familiar route and a new experience as Cat and Dog make surprising—sometimes unpleasant—discoveries along the way. The subtle message about appreciating the small moments in everyday routines and the possibilities that await when we step outside them is perfect for young readers.
BELOVED AUTHOR/ Brendan Wenzel is a bestselling author, Caldecott Honor–winning artist, and sought-after speaker at schools and libraries. His books They All Saw a Cat , Hello Hello , A Stone Sat Still , and Inside Cat have received multiple awards and starred reviews and are family and classroom favorites.
FUN READ-ALOUD Rhythmic text coupled with compelling artwork and a comforting ending make this perfect for story time, bedtime, or both!
Perfect
48 pages, Hardcover
First published April 23, 2024
3 people are currently reading
2499 people want to read
About the author
Brendan Wenzel
20 books177 followersBrendan Wenzel is an author and illustrator based in upstate New York. His debut picture book, They All Saw a Cat, was a New York Times bestseller and the recipient of a 2017 Caldecott Honor. An ardent conservationist, he is a proud collaborator with many organizations working to ensure the future of wild places and threatened species.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
February 1, 2024
Name me, if you would be so kind, the greatest examples of cat/dog friendships. I’m dating myself here but the first things that come to mind tend to be Milo and Otis (ask your parents, kids), Rita and Runt (natch), maybe something from Oliver and Company, and that’s it. Essentially my entire frame of reference is stuck in the 80s & 90s. But where television and movies have let me down, surely there are contemporary picture book examples to fill in those gaps, right? I wouldn’t rule it out entirely, but the fact of the matter is that there are precious few to choose from. Maybe that’s why the premise of a book like Two Together strikes me, even now, as so novel. Just a cat and a dog, realistically rendered (they don’t talk) bounding about the countryside together, having adventures. What could be better? But add in a little of that Brendan Wenzel magic and suddenly what started out as merely a novel concept becomes much much more. Gathering together all his skill, all his talent, and all his eye-popping glory, Wenzel brings to this simple little picture book an artistry and talent bound to blow you away. This is the cat/dog narrative we’ve all been waiting for.
“Two together headed home. Cat and dog. Bell and Bone. For a moment. For a day.” In the woods a cat and a dog travel together through thick and thin. Together, they see, hear, and smell everything in their path. Almost home, the two get waylaid by an interesting toad, a rocky path, a grumpy bear, and a sudden rainstorm. Fortunately, just as the light is fading, the two rush for the house. “All is dark. Home is bright.” There they find an open door, a roaring fireplace, and a friend to cuddle with while sleeping. But what’s this? They don’t sleep long, these two, before they’re up and out the door once more. “Two together on their way.”
Here is what sets Brendan Welzel apart from the competition. Wenzel grows. Wenzel changes. Wenzel tries new things. His experiments sometimes work and sometimes do not, but they are almost always interesting. I admit that I sort of felt he hit his apex with They All Saw a Cat when it was released, but here’s an example of just how good Two Together is: When I first read it, I literally couldn’t remember They All Saw a Cat anymore. I had adored that book so very much back in the day, but now all I could see, all I could remember, was the brilliance of this book. And why? Let me endeavor to explain.
At the very beginning, the color in this book is entirely washed out. It’s just colorless endpapers and the barest sketches of the dog and cat. Then you get this little moment where the dog and cat look at their own reflections in the water, and suddenly the entire book shifts. The dog half is painted in these thick acrylic brushstrokes, practically popping off the page. It’s not 3D but it sure approximates it. On the other side of the page, the cat appears in colored pencils, all sketchy lines and scribbles. Now here’s where everything starts to get interesting. Everything that is seen by the dog, reflects its painted style, and everything the cat sees reflects its pencils. I’m sure that there may even be some scientific reasoning behind why the dog looks one way or the cat another, but suffice to say that this tendency to equate their interpretations of the world around them through their own artistic mediums is fascinating. You might get a bird or a toad caught midway between the two of them, the bodies split into two different interpretations. But then look at what happens when the two pets arrive home. Suddenly they’re both more fleshed out, and it’s the cat that’s painted in acrylics and the dog drawn in pencil. When both walk through the door of the house, their separate artistic styles now seem to meld together at last. One cannot separate out the pencil from the paint, or vice versa. It’s all mixed together. Is that because they're now under the watchful eyes of their human? I'll leave that to you to figure out.
This is going to strike you as obvious, but it wasn’t until a colleague of mine off-handedly commented that, “This is a companion, or even a continuation, of They All Saw a Cat” that I realized how right he was. Maybe it didn’t occur to me since I always felt that Wenzel’s A Stone Sat Still was the Cat’s natural sequel. Now I begin to wonder if Two Together is the third in the trio. With its kitty co-protagonist, though, the first Cat book does seem like a more fitting accompaniment. Of course, unlike those two aforementioned titles, this book isn’t interested in looking at a range of animals separately. It keeps its focus squarely on the dog and cat. No animal, whether bird or bear, appears on these pages unless seen through the cat or dog’s viewpoint. The entire book is their p.o.v., which is a bit of a novel way of telling any story. I’m reminded of rare books like Chris Raschka’s New Shoes, where everything is seen literally through the eyes of a small child. So often we see the picture book told through a third perspective. Here at least, we have a window in.
So I’m taking up a lot of your time using high-falutin’ terms to describe what is, at its heart, a picture book for small children. Around this point you’re probably wondering on some level, “Is she ever going to mention actual kids in her review or is she just going to keep talking about ‘mediums’ and stuff like that?” First, rude. Second, that’s a pretty accurate assessment of a lot of my reviews. Sometimes when I really get going I seem to forget the intended audience along the way. But see, that’s part of what I really enjoyed about Two Together. Some of the artsy picture books that adult librarians like myself go gaga over encourage us to forget the kids. Not this book! This book is, at its heart, a friendship book, an adventure story, and a cozy tale of finding your way back home to where you are warm and safe and loved (and fed!) before setting off again. And Wenzel knows this. He knows to make the dog and cat look uncommonly goofy. I mean, if Wenzel had wanted to, he could have made these animals look hyper-realistic. The man knows how to draw a dog. But the sheer cartoonishness of the two lead animals actually makes the reader identify with them even more (Scott McCloud has an entire theory about precisely this in his book Understanding Comics that I’d quote to you, but my copy of the book is upstairs and I’m feeling a bit lazy, so just take my word for it). The dog in particular is probably the silliest I’ve ever seen Mr. Wenzel draw, and yet you’re with that dog. You root for him. Kids reading this book are going to enjoy the colors and the patterns, the storytelling, and the ending. They may not even notice how the art changes at first, but after a couple rereads, try prompting them. Ask them what they see. Ask them why they think the book looks the way that it does. I guarantee you’ll get some interesting answers if you keep at it.
Could you show a kid that reads this book that two different friends can see things, interpret things, even sense things differently, and still get along? I’m not certain that this was Brendan Wenzel’s original intention with this book, which is what makes it all the better. You can literally use it to discuss empathy or simply the concept of how two people never interpret the world around them in the same way. Or, if that’s too much work, you can just read it as a fun book about a cat and a dog frolicking through nature. Really, this story is a perfect mix of stuff that gets grown-ups excited (the different art styles and what they all mean) and stuff that gets a kid reader excited (the adventures, the animals, the comfort of returning home, etc.). Use it any way that you want but never forget that kids are the intended audience here. And if this just happens to be one of the cleverest, best illustrated books out there for them? All the better, I say. A can’t miss title.
“Two together headed home. Cat and dog. Bell and Bone. For a moment. For a day.” In the woods a cat and a dog travel together through thick and thin. Together, they see, hear, and smell everything in their path. Almost home, the two get waylaid by an interesting toad, a rocky path, a grumpy bear, and a sudden rainstorm. Fortunately, just as the light is fading, the two rush for the house. “All is dark. Home is bright.” There they find an open door, a roaring fireplace, and a friend to cuddle with while sleeping. But what’s this? They don’t sleep long, these two, before they’re up and out the door once more. “Two together on their way.”
Here is what sets Brendan Welzel apart from the competition. Wenzel grows. Wenzel changes. Wenzel tries new things. His experiments sometimes work and sometimes do not, but they are almost always interesting. I admit that I sort of felt he hit his apex with They All Saw a Cat when it was released, but here’s an example of just how good Two Together is: When I first read it, I literally couldn’t remember They All Saw a Cat anymore. I had adored that book so very much back in the day, but now all I could see, all I could remember, was the brilliance of this book. And why? Let me endeavor to explain.
At the very beginning, the color in this book is entirely washed out. It’s just colorless endpapers and the barest sketches of the dog and cat. Then you get this little moment where the dog and cat look at their own reflections in the water, and suddenly the entire book shifts. The dog half is painted in these thick acrylic brushstrokes, practically popping off the page. It’s not 3D but it sure approximates it. On the other side of the page, the cat appears in colored pencils, all sketchy lines and scribbles. Now here’s where everything starts to get interesting. Everything that is seen by the dog, reflects its painted style, and everything the cat sees reflects its pencils. I’m sure that there may even be some scientific reasoning behind why the dog looks one way or the cat another, but suffice to say that this tendency to equate their interpretations of the world around them through their own artistic mediums is fascinating. You might get a bird or a toad caught midway between the two of them, the bodies split into two different interpretations. But then look at what happens when the two pets arrive home. Suddenly they’re both more fleshed out, and it’s the cat that’s painted in acrylics and the dog drawn in pencil. When both walk through the door of the house, their separate artistic styles now seem to meld together at last. One cannot separate out the pencil from the paint, or vice versa. It’s all mixed together. Is that because they're now under the watchful eyes of their human? I'll leave that to you to figure out.
This is going to strike you as obvious, but it wasn’t until a colleague of mine off-handedly commented that, “This is a companion, or even a continuation, of They All Saw a Cat” that I realized how right he was. Maybe it didn’t occur to me since I always felt that Wenzel’s A Stone Sat Still was the Cat’s natural sequel. Now I begin to wonder if Two Together is the third in the trio. With its kitty co-protagonist, though, the first Cat book does seem like a more fitting accompaniment. Of course, unlike those two aforementioned titles, this book isn’t interested in looking at a range of animals separately. It keeps its focus squarely on the dog and cat. No animal, whether bird or bear, appears on these pages unless seen through the cat or dog’s viewpoint. The entire book is their p.o.v., which is a bit of a novel way of telling any story. I’m reminded of rare books like Chris Raschka’s New Shoes, where everything is seen literally through the eyes of a small child. So often we see the picture book told through a third perspective. Here at least, we have a window in.
So I’m taking up a lot of your time using high-falutin’ terms to describe what is, at its heart, a picture book for small children. Around this point you’re probably wondering on some level, “Is she ever going to mention actual kids in her review or is she just going to keep talking about ‘mediums’ and stuff like that?” First, rude. Second, that’s a pretty accurate assessment of a lot of my reviews. Sometimes when I really get going I seem to forget the intended audience along the way. But see, that’s part of what I really enjoyed about Two Together. Some of the artsy picture books that adult librarians like myself go gaga over encourage us to forget the kids. Not this book! This book is, at its heart, a friendship book, an adventure story, and a cozy tale of finding your way back home to where you are warm and safe and loved (and fed!) before setting off again. And Wenzel knows this. He knows to make the dog and cat look uncommonly goofy. I mean, if Wenzel had wanted to, he could have made these animals look hyper-realistic. The man knows how to draw a dog. But the sheer cartoonishness of the two lead animals actually makes the reader identify with them even more (Scott McCloud has an entire theory about precisely this in his book Understanding Comics that I’d quote to you, but my copy of the book is upstairs and I’m feeling a bit lazy, so just take my word for it). The dog in particular is probably the silliest I’ve ever seen Mr. Wenzel draw, and yet you’re with that dog. You root for him. Kids reading this book are going to enjoy the colors and the patterns, the storytelling, and the ending. They may not even notice how the art changes at first, but after a couple rereads, try prompting them. Ask them what they see. Ask them why they think the book looks the way that it does. I guarantee you’ll get some interesting answers if you keep at it.
Could you show a kid that reads this book that two different friends can see things, interpret things, even sense things differently, and still get along? I’m not certain that this was Brendan Wenzel’s original intention with this book, which is what makes it all the better. You can literally use it to discuss empathy or simply the concept of how two people never interpret the world around them in the same way. Or, if that’s too much work, you can just read it as a fun book about a cat and a dog frolicking through nature. Really, this story is a perfect mix of stuff that gets grown-ups excited (the different art styles and what they all mean) and stuff that gets a kid reader excited (the adventures, the animals, the comfort of returning home, etc.). Use it any way that you want but never forget that kids are the intended audience here. And if this just happens to be one of the cleverest, best illustrated books out there for them? All the better, I say. A can’t miss title.
May 30, 2024
The friendship of a dog and cat as they explore.
Side by side.
Two together
I actually could see Brendan Wenzel winning award with this as the illustrations cover what the minimal text starts: the adventure and the uniqueness of the characters and the uniqueness of the world. But we do it together.
Side by side.
Two together
I actually could see Brendan Wenzel winning award with this as the illustrations cover what the minimal text starts: the adventure and the uniqueness of the characters and the uniqueness of the world. But we do it together.
August 18, 2024
Fun book for young children about the friendship of a dog and cat and their adventures. Love the illustrations where the only parts of the page that pop with color are what the animals are noticing in nature. Illustrations are a lot of fun. They are deceivingly simple. The author notes on the copyright page that “this book was created with almost everything under the sun, but mostly acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, and a computer.”
March 29, 2024
This is cute and sweet. I really adore how the cat and dog each have their own respective art style until the end where they merge into one. It's a very creative and unique technique. The art overall is fantastic and really captivated me into the story. Many kudos!
I feel mid about this because I needed more from it. The wording is so surface-level that it almost becomes confusing with its simplicity. I just don't see this story teaching kids "empathy", as it claims, through such simple phrasing. It is cute though and I can see the intention, but not a huge winner for me personally.
Thank you to Chronicle Books for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are, as always, my very own.
I feel mid about this because I needed more from it. The wording is so surface-level that it almost becomes confusing with its simplicity. I just don't see this story teaching kids "empathy", as it claims, through such simple phrasing. It is cute though and I can see the intention, but not a huge winner for me personally.
Thank you to Chronicle Books for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are, as always, my very own.
April 6, 2024
I have been a fan of Brendan Wenzel since his very first picture book. There was so much evident talent and potential. Brendan won a Caldecott award in no time at all. I am still thrilled about his win. Two Together is a companion book to the Caldecott award winning, They All Saw A Cat and Inside Cat. Two Together is spectacular! It is the simple journey of a dog and cat headed home. The journey is exciting and filled with wonder, empathy and companionship. The art is a knock-out! Every single spread is a glorious joy. The rich colors, details, imagination...Astonishing. Two Together deserves to be in every personal, school and public library. One of the finest picture books of 2024.
June 6, 2024
3.5 stars--Vibrant illustrations dance with color and motion as a dog and a cat make their way through an obstacle-filled forest to find their way home.
November 4, 2024
I love the rhythm and rhyming in this book. I thought it was a sweet story that involved friendship and close relationships! Even looking past the stereotype that dogs and cats aren’t supposed to get along. Short story that is great to read to a young class.
April 3, 2024
This sweet story of friendship and adventure is one that will become a family favorite. Two pals, a dog and a cat, head home together, but there are just so many things to see and hear along the way. As they romp through the woods, they share their discoveries with one another and appreciate each other’s joy. Their journey stretches into sunset and a dash up a hill to marvel at the moon. They soon spy the lights of their home and happily decide to dash inside, curl up in front of the fire and prepare for their next adventure.
You’ll love the lush, playful illustrations and rhythmic text. The story and the pictures will prompt many conversations about the dog’s and cat's different views of the world and in spite of that, how they can still find joy in the small moments of their journey together.
I’m always looking for books my son will happily read to my granddaughters over and over. This one is definitely going on the list!
You’ll love the lush, playful illustrations and rhythmic text. The story and the pictures will prompt many conversations about the dog’s and cat's different views of the world and in spite of that, how they can still find joy in the small moments of their journey together.
I’m always looking for books my son will happily read to my granddaughters over and over. This one is definitely going on the list!
April 23, 2024
What I always love most about Brendan Wenzel's books is how as artistic and daring they might be - they never forget who their audience is. It makes complete sense to me that if a 2-year old can have a favorite illustrator/writer - then that illustrator/writer is Brendan Wenzel. Even the books I'm less interested in that he's done (which ironically are the ones that are a little more ethereal/high-concept) are huge hits with my 2-year old daughter.
This one is one of his more simply brilliant books - a cat and a dog hanging out together (the same cat from They All Saw a Cat) and getting into hijinks over the course of a day but it's thrilling, beautifully illustrated, and just lovely all around.
This one is one of his more simply brilliant books - a cat and a dog hanging out together (the same cat from They All Saw a Cat) and getting into hijinks over the course of a day but it's thrilling, beautifully illustrated, and just lovely all around.
September 8, 2025
What a day Cat and Dog have, these two best buddies together! And who couldn't fall in love with a book that features a loving friendship between a dog and a cat? When it comes to household pets, Brendan Wenzel delivers a winner every time. Adorable Dog, drawn in Wenzel's familiar loopy-lopey, droopy-dopey, cartoonish, thick acrylic brushstrokes (doggy style), is a wee bit of a scaredy cat. Cat ~~ smoother furred in pen and ink drawn with sleeker fur ~~ mostly leads the way, as Dog and Cat have one adventure after another on their way home.
Wenzel ~~ creator of THEY ALL SAW A CAT and INSIDE CAT ~~ is a master at creating lovable dogs and cats. Through perspective, color, dynamicism, and a rustic artistic style each double-page spread delivers an array of forest details the two encounter, from bees, bears, and birds to wind, rain, and sun. The two start out barely colored but as the reader moves through the story, in each page the hues become deeper and richer with white space sky turning to ink-blue as night falls.
An interesting technique Wenzel uses is showing all those adventurous encounters in similar or same artistic style: what the dog sees is in acrylic heavier richer brushstrokes; Cat sees in pen-and-ink.
Every child who loves their dog or cat will want to snuggle up with them and share this story. While the almost-rhyme is rhythmic and melodic, the illustrations could stand alone, wordless as their depth, color, tone detail descriptions of the raucous but joyful day.
Such a fine feel-good book!
Wenzel ~~ creator of THEY ALL SAW A CAT and INSIDE CAT ~~ is a master at creating lovable dogs and cats. Through perspective, color, dynamicism, and a rustic artistic style each double-page spread delivers an array of forest details the two encounter, from bees, bears, and birds to wind, rain, and sun. The two start out barely colored but as the reader moves through the story, in each page the hues become deeper and richer with white space sky turning to ink-blue as night falls.
An interesting technique Wenzel uses is showing all those adventurous encounters in similar or same artistic style: what the dog sees is in acrylic heavier richer brushstrokes; Cat sees in pen-and-ink.
Every child who loves their dog or cat will want to snuggle up with them and share this story. While the almost-rhyme is rhythmic and melodic, the illustrations could stand alone, wordless as their depth, color, tone detail descriptions of the raucous but joyful day.
Such a fine feel-good book!
January 26, 2026
Noodlenuts has always been not just about sharing "cute" books or the latest thing, but about showing children the magic of books - those picture books that are especially beautiful, clever, unusual in ways that open up the world and one's imagination in new ways. Those are the books that my parents sought out for my sisters and me as children, and what I want to help others find for the kids in their lives.
Author-illustrator Brendan Wenzel consistently creates those books: timeless stories full of heart, that are unlike anything else.
And his latest, "Two Together" (2024), is no exception, a powerfully simple, joyful friendship adventure that tenderly reminds us that the best friendships don't require that we be identical reflections of each other, but that we embrace our friends for who they are.
With short, wonderfully lyrical rhyming text (perfect for reading aloud!), the book begins mid-journey, with a dog-and-cat pair heading home together at the end of the day. Using a sort of split-page effect as they travel, with different art styles for each animal, Wenzel shows us the world through each of their eyes, different but equally fascinating, every moment enjoyed side by side.
A fabulous story that will bring demands for repeated readings!
Author-illustrator Brendan Wenzel consistently creates those books: timeless stories full of heart, that are unlike anything else.
And his latest, "Two Together" (2024), is no exception, a powerfully simple, joyful friendship adventure that tenderly reminds us that the best friendships don't require that we be identical reflections of each other, but that we embrace our friends for who they are.
With short, wonderfully lyrical rhyming text (perfect for reading aloud!), the book begins mid-journey, with a dog-and-cat pair heading home together at the end of the day. Using a sort of split-page effect as they travel, with different art styles for each animal, Wenzel shows us the world through each of their eyes, different but equally fascinating, every moment enjoyed side by side.
A fabulous story that will bring demands for repeated readings!
April 27, 2025
This one grows on me. The text is jaunty but minimal. The exuberance and interest are all in the illustrations. Wenzel has drawn objects in the dog’s visual field differently from objects in the cat’s, which means that sometimes the same object is drawn in two different styles. It’s jarring until it begins to work conceptually, i.e., until the reader’s vision adjusts.
A dog’s visual acuity is better than a cat’s, and Bone’s vision shows more filled-in objects. A cat has excellent perception of motion, and Bell’s vision is rapidly sketched in. A cat has better night vision, so a cave and the night sky look very different to Bell and Bone.
The dog experiences crossing a stream and being out in the rain with pleasure. Not so the cat. Bell climbs easily. Bone doesn’t. The illustrations convey the different experiences well. It’s tougher to catch the different sense of hearing and of smell.
Throughout, though Bell and Bone don’t perceive the world in the same way, they enjoy themselves together. A timely reminder for us all.
A dog’s visual acuity is better than a cat’s, and Bone’s vision shows more filled-in objects. A cat has excellent perception of motion, and Bell’s vision is rapidly sketched in. A cat has better night vision, so a cave and the night sky look very different to Bell and Bone.
The dog experiences crossing a stream and being out in the rain with pleasure. Not so the cat. Bell climbs easily. Bone doesn’t. The illustrations convey the different experiences well. It’s tougher to catch the different sense of hearing and of smell.
Throughout, though Bell and Bone don’t perceive the world in the same way, they enjoy themselves together. A timely reminder for us all.
April 20, 2024
Goodreads giveaway winner / free book review:
Overall a cute book of a cat and dog going on what appears to be their daily adventure geared to children ages 3-5. The art work is simple but nice and is reminiscent of van Gogh at times.
SPOILER: Some of the artwork could be a little scary for the age group depending on the child. There is a scene with a bear, only one page, and a couple pages of the two animals in the dark. The dog when wet while going into the sun to dry is disturbing to me, doesn't look like the dog other than the bone in the mouth but I have an over active imagination for an adult.
Note to author/publisher: The pages feel quite delicate for the age grouping on my advanced copy which is paper and not a hardcover. I don't imagine it would hold up well. Not complaining about getting a paper copy just a note incase the pages are planned to be the same in the hardcover. It should be fine though if the pages are stronger in the final hardcover copy.
Overall a cute book of a cat and dog going on what appears to be their daily adventure geared to children ages 3-5. The art work is simple but nice and is reminiscent of van Gogh at times.
SPOILER: Some of the artwork could be a little scary for the age group depending on the child. There is a scene with a bear, only one page, and a couple pages of the two animals in the dark. The dog when wet while going into the sun to dry is disturbing to me, doesn't look like the dog other than the bone in the mouth but I have an over active imagination for an adult.
Note to author/publisher: The pages feel quite delicate for the age grouping on my advanced copy which is paper and not a hardcover. I don't imagine it would hold up well. Not complaining about getting a paper copy just a note incase the pages are planned to be the same in the hardcover. It should be fine though if the pages are stronger in the final hardcover copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2025
The story is good, but the illustrations make it even better. There are two types of art styles in this book: colored pencil and what I believe is watercolor.
I think the most interesting part is when the cat and the dog finally arrive home. In the previous pages, the colored pencil style represents the cat and what the cat sees, while the watercolor style represents the dog and what the dog sees. But on that page, the cat is drawn in watercolor, and the dog is drawn in colored pencil. I think this change happens because, after their adventure, they start to see each other in a new way and understand each other better.
This book made me think that even if you are very close to someone, you will still see the world differently. But even with those differences, you can still remain friends.
250307BDG
I think the most interesting part is when the cat and the dog finally arrive home. In the previous pages, the colored pencil style represents the cat and what the cat sees, while the watercolor style represents the dog and what the dog sees. But on that page, the cat is drawn in watercolor, and the dog is drawn in colored pencil. I think this change happens because, after their adventure, they start to see each other in a new way and understand each other better.
This book made me think that even if you are very close to someone, you will still see the world differently. But even with those differences, you can still remain friends.
250307BDG
April 4, 2024
A sweet early reader about two beings who see things a bit differently but are able to have companionable adventures during the day, eventually ending up safe at home.
It took me two reads to absorb the conceit in the illustrations: the cat's experience is illustrated with colored pencil, while the dog's experience is illustrated in paint, all in the same scene. It's neat when a book gets better the second time around. This one has lots of little hidden details in the illustrations, too. The illustrations are fun and beautiful!
The only thing that bugged me is that it's apparently about a domestic cat and dog who go on adventures during the day and then come home securely at night. Please don't let your cats and dogs free range outside if you want them to be safe!
It took me two reads to absorb the conceit in the illustrations: the cat's experience is illustrated with colored pencil, while the dog's experience is illustrated in paint, all in the same scene. It's neat when a book gets better the second time around. This one has lots of little hidden details in the illustrations, too. The illustrations are fun and beautiful!
The only thing that bugged me is that it's apparently about a domestic cat and dog who go on adventures during the day and then come home securely at night. Please don't let your cats and dogs free range outside if you want them to be safe!
July 4, 2024
A simple tale of an outing by two unusual friends - a cat and a dog. A charming story and seemingly simple story. But, this is illustrated by Brendan Wenzel, so the art work is extraordinary. The two characters start out as not much more than sketches with faintly drawn backgrounds. As the pair's adventures progress, the two friends become more and more vividly drawn and expressively drawn. The background scenes deepen and intensify as the day progresses and day turns to night after a gorgeous sunset. When the pair finally near home, the starry sky, glowing house and fire turn the night warm and comforting. A book to read over and over with treasures to be found on each time through.
Outstanding!
Outstanding!
September 11, 2024
I really enjoyed Brendan's previous works. I was looking forward to this.
The story is like a poem about the friendship of a cat and dog. Two together repeats over and over.
Cat and dog are having an adventure going all over the place. At the beginning, the background was white and seemed unfinished. I didn't understand. The best picture were those at night, especially in the cave. Amazing artwork, truly. It was amazing. The problem is the rest of it didn't feel amazing. Background weren't done, if felt like.
It says that everything was used to make this story and I believe it. It looked like watercolor, pencil, pen, paint, even magic marker.
I don't know, the story didn't work for me, the art only worked on a few pages. I wanted to love this.
The story is like a poem about the friendship of a cat and dog. Two together repeats over and over.
Cat and dog are having an adventure going all over the place. At the beginning, the background was white and seemed unfinished. I didn't understand. The best picture were those at night, especially in the cave. Amazing artwork, truly. It was amazing. The problem is the rest of it didn't feel amazing. Background weren't done, if felt like.
It says that everything was used to make this story and I believe it. It looked like watercolor, pencil, pen, paint, even magic marker.
I don't know, the story didn't work for me, the art only worked on a few pages. I wanted to love this.
October 17, 2024
We join dog and a cat as they adventure together in the forest. They gaze at their reflections in water. Dog has a Bone; Cat has a Bell - or maybe those are names? And then Wenzel alters the art a bit - dog is more rounded; cat a bit spiky. Possibly to reflect the ways that animals view the world which is quite different than the way we humans perceive things. The two friends encounter excitement and danger on their trek but finally reach home where, once again, the perspective changes slightly. And then it's time to go on another adventure.
Wenzel's They All Saw a Cat received a 2017 Caldecott honor and this one has been receiving some Caldecott buzz also. Even if it does not win an award, it's a beautiful book with wonderful illustrations plus it makes a great read aloud.
Wenzel's They All Saw a Cat received a 2017 Caldecott honor and this one has been receiving some Caldecott buzz also. Even if it does not win an award, it's a beautiful book with wonderful illustrations plus it makes a great read aloud.
April 4, 2024
What a terrific romp through a day with adventuring friends! Brendan Wenzel’s fluffy dog and sleek feline stick together across fields, through the swamp, frolic after a frog and eventually make it home only to start the fun all over again. Wenzel’s illustrations, created with “almost everything under the sun,” are bold and flow across the page along with brief phrases describing the action and are just right to inspire imagination and conversation between readers or caregivers and their charges. Wonderful addition to picture book collections for toddlers through grade 2. Great prompt for story telling and early writing.
Thanks for the early look, Chronicle Kids.
Thanks for the early look, Chronicle Kids.
May 13, 2024
The art and imagery in this book are exceptional. The reader follows a pair of best friends, a cat and a dog, through their day. As the day goes on, the images reflect the time changing, which is relatively clever.
I know the author from reading “They All Saw a Cat,” and I thoroughly enjoyed the art and accompanying story.
However, in “Two Together” the story is a bit lackluster. The imagery does make up for that in some ways, but I would have preferred a more interesting or thought-provoking story.
Thanks to the publisher, author, and Good Reads’ giveaways for the advanced copy.
I know the author from reading “They All Saw a Cat,” and I thoroughly enjoyed the art and accompanying story.
However, in “Two Together” the story is a bit lackluster. The imagery does make up for that in some ways, but I would have preferred a more interesting or thought-provoking story.
Thanks to the publisher, author, and Good Reads’ giveaways for the advanced copy.
August 12, 2024
From the author of 'They All Saw A Cat', Brendan Wenzel writes this new adventure, Two Together, in brief rhymes that excite us readers as we move along with this dog and this cat, through scrub and woods, a swamp and grass, and more! They smell things and explore a cave, see a toad, and wake a bear! Yikes! Then, they run for home! The rhyme keeps us all going as we laugh at the landscape Brendan's illustrations create while dog and cat have their adventures as they start home. Reading aloud to a group of young readers will bring plenty of 'oohs and ahs' plus the fun of anticipating "What's next?"
December 31, 2024
This is a fun rhyming book. The best part of this book is probably the illustrations. There is so much to talk about. First off the dog is done in paint while the cat is done in colored pencil. And the two are separate, but together on the page. As the story progresses, or the animals find safety, their art forms merge creating a third form of art within these books. The way the author has welded the art in this book to tell a story of the feelings of the animals is masterful. This book is an only beautiful, but it hits on so many emotions besides just the happy-go-lucky rhyming pattern of the story.
August 4, 2024
Wenzel uses different art styles to depict how differently the dog and cat visualize the world around them. The dog seems to see things as more solid, while the cat seems to see things as more sketchy or blurry. While traveling through a cave, the light around the cat depicts that it can see very well in dim light, but the dog cannot see in the dark as well as the cat, and has to follow the cat through the cave.
According to Wenzel, he created the art "with almost everything under the sun, but mostly acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, and a computer."
According to Wenzel, he created the art "with almost everything under the sun, but mostly acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, and a computer."
April 19, 2025
Two Together by Brendan Wenzel is the delightful story of two friends, a dog and a cat. The story follows these two buddies as they explore their day. They find caves and bears and woods and sunsets. They are adventurous and friendly and so excited to see the world. The book is filled with beautifully bright, interesting illustrations that get more detailed the more they move into their day. The best part of all though, the entire book rhymes and the lilting nature of the text is engaging and infectious. You can’t help but smile as you read it!
April 25, 2024
Wenzel has the words&pictures storytelling down which does not make his work any less delightful and surprising. The two perspectives--Dog and Cat (Bone & Bell) as represented in different mediums--are a duet. Their affectionate, inseparable friendship held through the good and the bad is heartwarming.
That the words are as fluid and captivating as the images, that they are a duet, both singular and inseparable emphasizes just how gorgeously crafted this book/story is...
That the words are as fluid and captivating as the images, that they are a duet, both singular and inseparable emphasizes just how gorgeously crafted this book/story is...
April 28, 2024
I had the pleasure of meeting Brendan at a recent library conference and learning about the inspiration behind this book. He and his wife love to travel all over the world, and he sketches the things they encounter, and she photographs them. He discovered that even though they are on the same trip, they see and notice very different things. I have always loved his books because they show differing perspectives, so it was fascinating to learn more about this book.
May 14, 2024
This is Wenzel’s fourth or fifth book (depending on how you look at them) about a similar theme: perspective and point of view. Each clever in its own way, this book strikes a slightly new note. The two characters, Bone and Bell, have the same experiences together, but perceive them in slightly different ways. And yet, Wenzel seems to suggest in the final pages that what both of them remember or dream about, is the same: spending time together.
May 22, 2024
A lovely rhyming picture book chronicling the journey home of a cat named Belle and a dog named Bone. Belle and Bone joyfully explore the world around them. "Two together much to see. Unknown sounds. Smells on trees." After chasing a toad, waking a bear, getting lost in the brambles, getting wet from the rain, and watching the moon together, they eventually make it back home. "Two together face-to-face. Home at last. Warm and safe." A cozy and comforting picture book to read before bedtime!
Read
June 1, 2024Is this like the color picture book version of The Incredible Journey? This poor cat and dog went through just about everything to get to the home at the end. I think my favorite spread is the endpapers at the end - I love the chaos of color and little dog and cat versions there. It's very Wenzel. The only thing I could say is, do you do a rhyming text if it's only going to work half the time? I think it could have been very successful without a rhyme.
June 1, 2024
3 stars (I liked it)
I guess I just expected more because I loved Wenzel's They All Saw A Cat so much. But I found Two Together to just be a bit meh. I do like that it shows a friendship but I didn't really care for the short sentences in this book.
I guess I just expected more because I loved Wenzel's They All Saw A Cat so much. But I found Two Together to just be a bit meh. I do like that it shows a friendship but I didn't really care for the short sentences in this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews