Ungerer brought mayhem to children's books with scenes of fighting, bloodshed, catapults and smoking. Even though it's in black and white, this picture is about as colorful as mischief can get. (https://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2012/feb/24/tomi-ungerer-illustrations) In Ungerer's first children's book in 25 years, a delightfully witty and lighthearted look at race relations, a cat couple is startled to discover that their newborn is a dog. (This ""genetic mishap"" is traced to a great-grandmother's secret marriage to a pug.) The doting parents bring up squat, jowly, wrinkly-faced Flix to climb trees and eat fried mice and pickled canaries. Under the tutelage of his basset hound godfather, the pup also learns pride in his canine heritage and masters the dog language. Flix's combined talents win him the respect of both communities, the love of a French exchange-student poodle and eventually a career in politics, in which he campaigns to end cat-dog segregation. Ungerer celebrates the versatility and perspective Flix gains from his mixed ancestry while still acknowledging the hardship of not fitting in. His lively illustrations, which feature highly expressive and individualized faces, are more supple and playful than in earlier books. The accomplished artwork brims with funny touches such as a rat-crossing sign in Cattown (speed up!) and a monument to Laika (the first dog to orbit in space) in Dogtown; more pointed details include the no-dogs-allowed sign in a posh Cattown restaurant. Ungerer's return to the field will be welcomed by all who discover this charming addition to his oeuvre, but will be especially appreciated by children growing up in more than one cultural tradition. (http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-57098-208-8) NF Could you tell me a little about your relationship with Maurice Sendak and Shel Silverstein? TU We met by our shared taste for German Romantic illustrations and drawings. We used to go to Third Avenue and hunt for second-hand books. We had the same opinions about children’s books. Who needs all these mushy, sweet— But Maurice did one sweetheart book, and that’s called A Kiss for Little Bear. As an answer, I made No Kiss for Mother. That was my reply to his little mushy book. (laughter) NF How much time did you and Maurice spend together? And what sort of things would you talk about besides children’s books? TU We were really busy, he sometimes spent some time with me in Long Island, but otherwise, let’s call it occasional. It was usually impromptu—“Are you free this afternoon?” That kind of thing. (http://bombmagazine.org/article/2359112/tomi-ungerer)