POO-DUNIT?

Can Mouse discover who has made this stinky doo?

“Once upon a forest floor, / a snout poked out / a burrow door / and wheezed and sneezed, / for on the breeze / there came a hint of… // POO.” Mouse finds a giant mound, hairy and brown with red berries in it. First Mouse calls to Squirrel, who denies making anything that big and suggests Skunk. Mouse calls Skunk, who replies, “Don’t make me sick! / My poo is thin. / This poo is thick! / Ask Porcupine.” But Porcupine’s is short, and this one is long, and it’s not Fox's, Coyote's, or Deer's. As the animals look at the poo’s characteristics and deduce who made it, Bear arrives to proudly take responsibility. Bear also claims no one can outpoo them, but Moose does just that, graphically. What is Mouse to do with all of this ordure? Disconsolate at first, she then has a great idea, and spring brings a much more enjoyable whiff to her front door: nicely fertilized flowers. Aronson’s story of a scatological stumper will elicit giggles (and probably offend some). The quiz and the paean to poo at the close add a little fun and science, respectively. Laberis’ digitally created cartoon illustrations are worthy of Disney—if Disney did doo-doo. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Stinky science with a sprinkle of silly.