The Problem with Pierre

by C.K. Smouha, Suzanna Hubbard (Illustrator)

A fussy cat ruffles the feathers of two neighbours who couldn’t be more different...

Alan and Betram are next-door neighbours. They are also best friends. They are also very, very different to one another. Bertram is extremely neat, and Alan is wildly messy. When Bertram gets a cat, called Pierre, he is dismayed to find that Pierre prefers it at Alan’s house.

Alan tries to help his friend out – giving him his old sheepskin coat, his chipped bowl and finally, his beat up old sofa. At last, Pierre and Bertram are happy, but Alan is not – he has no company and no sofa. Fortunately, Bertram comes up with a brilliant solution to the problem...

The Problem With Pierre plays with the format of the book, the gutter acting as the dividing wall between the two neighbours’ contrasting living rooms. A twist at the end brings together form and content in a way that is sure to delight readers young and old.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Cats, Animals, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

Published June 8, 2021

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best friends Alan and Bertram live next door to each other. Even though they are close, Alan keeps a messy house while Bertram is extremely organized. Things change when Bertram adopts Pierre, a white cat who isn't interested in the special bowl or bed that his owner has bought for him. Instead, Pierre visits Alan quite often, slipping in through the window and finding his own comforts: eating leftovers, sleeping on Alan's coat lying on the floor, and snuggling up next to him to watch television from a much-used couch. When Bertram becomes upset about his cat's absence, Alan generously offers a cracked bowl for meals and his coat to keep Pierre happy at Bertram's place. He even gives Bertram the sofa since Pierre loves it so much. Alan decides to tidy up his place, but he misses Pierre. Eventually the friends come up with the perfect solution to their feline problem, knocking down the wall between their two places so that Pierre can have the best of both possible worlds and come and go as he pleases. The lively and colorful illustrations and text remind readers that it is possible to have things both ways if both sides are willing to compromise. As anyone who lives with a cat knows, cats always know best, and it's wise to cater to their whims.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful picture book from Cicada Books. Smouha and Hubbard, with a hint of Edward Ardizzone in her penwork and style, bring us the story of two best friends who are polar opposites. Whilst Bertram enjoys living a minimalist lifestyle in his home, in the neighbouring terrace, his best friend Alan is content living in a chaotic mess.

As time passes, Bertram finds that something is missing from his life and decides that it's probably a cat. Enter Pierre who looks as sharp and as tidy as his owner. So why is he spending all his time over at Alan's?

Slowly, Alan shares with his neighbour some of the things Pierre loves and, in order to gain the cat's time and attention, Bertram adapts and starts to change his lifestyle. The picturebook culminates in a heart-warming conclusion of cohabitation between the best of friends - albeit in an odd manner!

Hubbard's art throughout is just delightful. A rich range of colours presented in a print format, it's full of character and details. From Alan's wild, red hair and beard to Bertram's minimal line-heavy livingroom; children will enjoy these comparisons.

A sweet story about tolerance, acceptance and the wily wisdom of one cat's ability to bring two friends even closer.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bertram is very neat and tidy, and Alan is messy and unkempt. However, these two neighbors are best friends. Bertram's new cat, Pierre, doesn't like to sit on the pristine couch, or eat from the beautiful china, or sleep on the designer cat bed. Pierre would rather hang out with Alan and eat scraps. Bertram learns to allow some less-than-perfect things in his house to accommodate Pierre. And Alan tries to clean up his house and tidy some of the clutter. Together they find a way to compromise and make the perfect environment for Pierre the cat.

I love this funny story about different people coming together for something they both enjoy, like owning a cat. I love the positive messages about friendship, plus the story is just entertaining.

The illustrations are beautifully in keeping with the mood of the story. The lines of the artwork are a little messy and chaotic, even impressionistic at times. I love the bright colors and interesting scenes.

Such a fun book!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Hailey Liechty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 4th star is for the illustrations. They are fun and capture the characters, especially the cat. The story itself though? So many questions. Why not adopt another cat? Get another sofa? Add a blanket? Radically remodel? Ahh, good idea?

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fussy cat brings two incompatible next door neighbors together.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don't look carefully at the illustrations, you will miss the full joy of this book of friends, and cats.

[Y.Poston]

very cute cat story

[Connie D]

This is a charming picture book showing how two very different friends can help each other grow. :-)

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great illustrations, nice story.

[Toeprint · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cat prefers messy man’s house. Neat neighbour borrows the couch, the bowl until he realises he’s taken all the messy men’s things. So they break down the apartment wall.

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where to begin? A prim bloke and his messy, much more relaxed next door neighbour are chalk and cheese. When Posh Bloke buys a fancy cat as company, the cat spends all the time next door, to such an extent the scruff keeps giving what the cat likes to Posh Bloke on permanent loan. But neither is feeling the same, so what do they do? Knock the party wall down and move in together. Rather than this be a successful look at how you need a happy medium in things such as tidiness and mess, this becomes a ridiculously unrealistic, well I don't know. Whatever it is it means the book is hardly about the cat, that's for sure, as it becomes instead this bonkers gaydar-triggering relationship story.