His illustrations utilize lots of motion and basic geometric shapes with heavy black outlines, all against pastel backgrounds with text set in an extra-large typeface. (“Oops, there goes Pip.”) Otto flies a plane up to rescue Pip (“Hurry, Otto, Hurry”), but they crash (and splash) in front of some hippos with another big balloon, and the story ends as it begins, with a droll “See Pip point.” Milgrim again succeeds in the difficult challenge of creating a real, funny story with just a few simple words. (Pip seems to be in that I-point-and-I-want-it phase common with one-year-olds.) The big purple balloon is large enough to carry Pip up and away over the clouds, until Pip runs into Zee the bee.

The simple plot involves a large balloon that Otto kindly shares with Pip after the mouse has a rather funny pointing attack. In his third beginning reader about Otto the robot, Milgrim ( See Otto, 2002, etc.) introduces another new friend for Otto, a little mouse named Pip. And really, who needs more frivolous arguments in their lives? Adinolfi's artwork, though hip and darting and with an eye for any humor that can be wrung from the text, ultimately can't keep the dreary story afloat. But since she doesn't have the gerbils in tow, the victory has a hollow ring. It looks to Tom like Louie can't live without Emilia, so she gets to stay. Finally comes the day of the party when Emilia just shows up, with a big steak bone hidden in her dress. Emilia appeals to Tom's better half, but Louie, since Tom is doing the writing, says no to the gerbils. The two set to quibbling via the mail-Emilia calls Tom the world's meanest potato head (comically rendered by Adinolfi, who draws Tom as a lumpy head full of eyes) and he refuses to relent. (Actually, Pedro writes, and reads, everything for Emilia, though only after Emilia likes to pretend she is doing him a favor.) Tom says no gerbils he evidently wants Louie to have the limelight. Emilia writes back that she and her gerbils would love to attend. He sends out invitations to his friends Lily and Pedro, and to Pedro's sister Emilia.

Tom wants to have a birthday party for his dog Louie.

Despite some funny touches, Pomerantz's story of the tedious bickering between two kids gets hoist on its own petard.

Wild feelings by david milgrim