"On their walks together, Barnaby enjoyed
the awed, envious looks from the crowds.
They had probably never seen a big TV star
before.
The only nuisance was the paparazzi that
followed him everywhere in the park.
Barnaby had learned never to make eye
contact or slow his step.
Other than that, life was perfect.
Then one Saturday, everything
changed ... "
In this companion title to The Barnabus Project (Tundra, 2020), the Fan Brothers bring Barnaby, a Perfect Pet, to the reader's attention. Barnaby has long-lived in a box; he is "half mouse and half elephant, with just a dash of flamingo". The pink makes him a standout in the toy store.
Barnaby likes who he is, and he is the last of his kind on the toy shelf. There are always new Perfect Pets on display and Barnaby worries about that. When a little girl chooses Barnaby from the display, he is delighted. She loves Barnaby, dresses him up and gives him all the attention he needs. Their time together is full of wonder, especially when she reads him bedtime stories.
Every Saturday morning they watch Barnaby and Friends on TV. They are content and happy to be together ... until one Saturday when Rainbow Barnaby makes an appearance. That is all the little girl now wants. Luckily for Barnaby, her father refuses to buy another similar toy. The little girl stops playing with him. Her father now takes him for his walks. During one of those walks, Barnaby slips away, hoping to learn the little girl misses him. He does not know the dangers he will face, or that he will be unable to find his way home.
A dumpster behind the Perfect Pets store is filled with many other castoffs. Should he stay with them, eating day-old donuts? No, he wants to find the little girl again. The others wish him well, and he begins a new journey, fraught with danger and even a chance meeting with a Rainbow Barnaby! It is not a pleasant encounter; the other Barnaby scoffs at his dirty coat and his unkempt appearance.
Barnaby carries on, eventually finding himself at the edge of the city where he meets squirrels who have never heard of him. They show him the ropes anyway, and they become fast friends.
"Barnaby was no longer famous, but that didn't
matter anymore. He had his friends, his favorite
sitting spot, fresh air and moonlight."
He did miss the girl. Winter comes and goes; Barnaby forgets his former life. With the arrival of spring, he awakes to sunshine and hunger ... and a big surprise!
The art? Oh, the art! Rendered in graphite and colored digitally, the Fan Brothers have created another masterpiece of storytelling. Refined details, amazing perspectives and a feeling of great empathy for all makes it a very sweet story, sure to enchant and become a perennial favorite in many families.
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