A few weeks ago one of my cousins texted me to inform me that she left some books at her mothers place she thought I might like. I thanked her but then forgot about it. A few days later, there were a few books on the table (my dad had stopped by her place and was elected the delivery boy). They were these larger, square, white covered books called Cockatiels for Two: A Book of Cat Cartoons by Leo Cullum and Tequila Mockingbird: A Book of Animal Cartoons also by Cullum.
Tequila Mockingbird was picked up first by me, with my father grumbling that they were not funny and of course, I would think so, too. I quickly realized why he was not a fan. You see, they might be cartoons, but they are not “comics.” They are cartoons that have a sometimes off beat sense of humor, sometimes a bit sophisticated, sometimes they could be a bit abstract, and sometimes are such Dad Jokes that it makes Dads groan. They were not “cut and dried” or easy to read via the image. They could be slightly political or at least are social commentary. Therefore, know yourself and/or your reader. Mostly these books are about puns, stereotypes and clever word play about animals or with Book of Cat Cartoons, cats. The covers give you everything you need to know about how the illustrations will be. They’re large and in charge, but little detail. Yet, nothing is really lacking, just not “full figured” and giving you a read via the art.
They are not meant to be “deep, meaningful comics/jokes/stories”, but are just overall fun, something to do when you don’t want to do something too in depth, but want a little stimulation.They could be a good coffee table book, the hardcover book you find at the doctors/dentist office instead of six month old magazines, or even a nice house warming/don’t know what to get/anytime gift for that person who has everything and more.