I work at a library, and Phoebe and Her Unicorn books FLY off the shelves. There are around 20 in the series now, and the few copies we have at any given time are gone again in a couple of days. These books, like BCN books, are marketed as and shelved with the kids’ books. KIDS LOVE PHOEBE AND MARIGOLD!!! Newspapers are shooting themselves in the foot taking it off their pages!
(Can’t leave Georgia out—BCN books also go pretty fast at my branch. There’s never one around when I want to grab one and shove it into someone’s hands and say, “Here, read this.”)
The rivalry was based on their real-life counterparts. Goldie was a neighborhood stray adopted by the family. Lupin loved all kinds of people, but unlike BCN Lupin, he didn’t get along great with other cats. He grew up with Elvis and Puck, so they were fine, but he had a hard time adjusting to Goldie. Years later when Iggy came along, he and Lupin were best buddies, but Iggy was a youngster at the time.
I saw the little cones and had no thought of Tommybaums until I read your comment. I’m very disappointed in myself.