STOP THAT MOP!

An inventive riff on “The Gingerbread Boy,” featuring the phoneme made famous by Hop on Pop.

A disgruntled mop is done with the brown “SLOP” and green “GLOP” that a pig continues to “DROP.” The mop gleefully decides to “RUN! Run far away!” and blithely bids the pig farewell. The pig’s cry of “STOP THAT MOP” summons a bunny, a pony, and a fish. Though they “HOP,” “CLOP,” and “FLOP,” their efforts are in vain. (The fish sports a water-filled helmet so that it can give chase alongside the others.) Although the put-upon mop initially evokes readers’ sympathy (who wouldn’t want to flee a life of cleaning up slop?), its repeated cry of overweening pride—“But you will NEVER stop this mop!”—eventually calls out for comeuppance. A stop sign is ready to provide it. Though the sign tries to warn the escapee of an impending “DROP,” the mop is too full of self-importance to listen. Predictably but satisfyingly, the mop falls off the cliff but fortunately lands (“PLOP”) on a blue, vaguely peacock-ish bird passing by. The mop is exuberantly unrepentant, giddily flying off on the bird. Cartoon-style art boldly foregrounds the major players, setting them against minimal backgrounds and giving the mop a distinct personality. This masterful romp makes the very most of its limited vocabulary, entertaining even adult readers while offering beginners humor, suspense, and just plain fun.

Laugh-out-loud fare for burgeoning readers and a rollicking celebration of the rebellious spirit.