THE FROG AND HIS FRIENDS SAVE HUMANITY/LA RANA Y SUS AMIGOS SALVAN A LA HUMANIDAD

In this amusing, and mildly scatological, pourquoi tale set during the “Spring of Creation,” the animals discover a tiny hairless creature they have never seen before—the first human. As they debate what to do about it (the carnivores suggest eating it), the frog decides to rub its stomach—like its own mother used to do—to see if the creature does anything besides smile. Thus they discover the baby’s special gift—farting. They conclude that the baby’s purpose is to bring all the animals together with laughter and thus enters the pourquoi: Frogs croak and turtles are always on the move trying to spread the news, and armadillos roll into balls with laughter at the idea that anyone will believe the news when they hear it. Ramírez’s rich color-saturated, stylized illustrations recall in some ways the artwork of Pacific Northwest tribes. Longer than most picture books, and perhaps too indelicate for read-alouds with younger audiences, this is perfect for second through fifth graders and their sometimes-crude sense of humor. (Picture book. 2-5)