A charming lift-the-flap book with pleasing illustrations by Bob Graham will engage readers with its slightly silly plot about multiple births. A little girl notices that her dog gets fatter and fatter, but she’s not sure what the matter is. Noticing the dog emerge from a cupboard looking thinner than before, the girl discovers that the pregnant pooch has delivered two puppies in its confines. Next, when her cat grows chubby and hides in a box, she finds three kittens under the cardboard flaps. Told in humorous rhymes, the story builds as the young girl’s mother gets bigger and bigger. The biggest surprise comes when her mama returns from the hospital with a buggy full of brothers—the number of whom will delight readers who have been keeping count. (Ages 2–5)

Lift the flaps to find out why a dog . . . and a cat . . . and finally a mom might go off with expanded tummies — and return with a big surprise.

What could it mean when your dog or your cat gets fatter and fatter, then hides in a cupboard or box and comes out thin? With the flip of a flap, little ones will be happy to help the young narrator as she discovers a litter of puppies and a batch of kittens — and finally knows what to expect when her own mom’s widening girth precedes a hospital visit. Bob Graham’s whimsical illustrations and a simple, repetitive text capture the curious anticipation that all new babies bring.