Not a totally shitty book, but not the shit, either.
The scoop on poop.
Cartoon art and cheeky text mark this as a potty-training book that uses humor to make young readers comfortable with toileting. The downside to this is that some may be a bit uncomfortable with the humor’s tone, which veers toward the gross and has little regard for privacy. On the former point, poop is likened to food: “Cows make huge poops like a pizza! And goats make little balls, like olives.” (Eeew.) On the latter point, the narrator, a boy who seems well beyond potty-training age, has a series of four spreads toward the end devoted to answering “What about me? What about you? How do we poop?” He’s first depicted running down a hallway clutching his backside, then sitting on the toilet while his sister brings a roll of toilet paper. Then, on a page with a closed bathroom door, text reads, “Sometimes a few little farts escape,” before a page-turn shows the boy, red-faced and straining while his sister and their cat literally cheer him on, complete with pompoms. The rest of the family joins in on the cheering on the next page when (“PLOP!”) he successfully poops. It’s a logical conclusion but an oddly public one for a child who seems decidedly older than the implied toddler audience. The narrator and his family present white.
Not a totally shitty book, but not the shit, either. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-2281-0083-6
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Firefly
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Adults looking for an easy entry into this subject will not be disappointed.
This book presents a simplified explanation of the role the atmosphere plays in controlling climate.
The authors present a planet as a ball and its atmosphere as a blanket that envelops the ball. If the blanket is thick, the planet will be hot, as is the case for Venus. If the blanket is thin, the planet is cold, as with Mars. Planet Earth has a blanket that traps “just the right amount of heat.” The authors explain trees, animals, and oceans are part of what makes Earth’s atmosphere “just right.” “But…Uh-oh! People on Earth are changing the blanket!” The book goes on to explain how some human activities are sending “greenhouse gases” into the atmosphere, thus “making the blanket heavier and thicker” and “making Earth feel unwell.” In the case of a planet feeling unwell, what would the symptoms be? Sea-level rises that lead to erosion, flooding, and island loss, along with extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, blizzards, and wildfires. Ending on a constructive note, the authors name a few of the remedies to “help our Earth before it’s too late!” By using the blanket analogy, alongside simple and clear illustrations, this otherwise complex topic becomes very accessible to young children, though caregivers will need to help with the specialized vocabulary.
Adults looking for an easy entry into this subject will not be disappointed. (Board book. 3-4)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4926-8082-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
More information than toddlers will sit still for; not enough for preschoolers who are outgrowing board books.
An introduction to the body for the youngest readers.
It’s an endlessly fascinating topic, but here it is explained in wordy and needlessly exclamatory detail. On the opening spread three children play: One flies a kite, another plays hopscotch, and a third hangs upside down from a branch while the text explains that “your body can do so many things!” Basic facts about each body part are explained on subsequent spreads—more or less. A spread devoted to the belly button gives no hint to its original purpose. A busy park scene with all the characters and summary text that emphasizes the importance of “Lots of sleep, good food, and plenty of exercise” ends this compendium. McDonald’s attempts to be inclusive don’t quite succeed. A brown-skinned boy playing wheelchair basketball is used to explain arm joints, and there are several other children of color in the book. But on the page about hearing, the brown-skinned tot’s prominent ears and his placement in a tree make him look more like a monkey than a child—an unfortunate association. Many spreads include a question that relates to the topic but could also prove distracting. An additional fact on each spread set in a smaller font is clearly for older children or grown-ups, not toddlers.
More information than toddlers will sit still for; not enough for preschoolers who are outgrowing board books. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6636-8
Page Count: 27
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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