A LITTLE BIT OF RESPECT

A little Ploofer learns to stand up for themself.

The round, gray Ploofers are on an adventure and find a new land with pink, raindrop-shaped inhabitants. The pink creatures welcome the Ploofers. When the littlest Ploofer shows off their ability to make small, colorful clouds, one of the inhabitants finds it adorable. The pink inhabitant treats the Ploofer like a baby, calling them cute, pinching their cheeks, and even commenting on their cute walk (“Widdle, waddle, widdle, waddle!”). The little Ploofer starts to visibly get more agitated as they expel a red cloud, and the inhabitant suggests the “cutie pie” needs a nap. Fed up, the little Ploofer kicks what looks like a pebble but turns out to be another little creature (“Excuse me! I do not like being kicked!”) who eventually helps them speak up and demand a bit of respect. This third entry in the Ploofers series is a fun book with a sound lesson on boundaries, consent, and respect—our words and actions can be hurtful despite our intentions. The only downfall is the ending, perhaps intended to be humorous, in which the offending pink inhabitant repeats the same mistake with another creature, not really learning anything. The illustrations are adorable and portray the different emotions well. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A charming story for young readers about respect and speaking up.