A number-one hit!
A cartoonish bespectacled owl-like creature provides advice both serious and tongue-in-cheek for coping with a bladder accident at school.
“It can happen when you are sleeping. It can happen when you are in class. It can happen when you are sleeping in class.” These clever sentences show up, respectively, under three comical framed images featuring the protagonist along with other funny, anthropomorphic creatures. Next, Wilson lists reasons people might delay a trip to the bathroom and notes that they may have unsuccessfully tried “scientifically proven methods” to hold it in, including sitting very still and “the grab-and-hold.” A double-page spread with a urine-colored background shows a stain spreading over the cringing owl’s plaid trousers: “You peed your pants.” After Wilson reassures readers that “we’ve all been there,” the tips begin: “Create a distraction,” “hide the evidence,” and “find new clothes.” Hilarious, largely monochromatic artwork accompanies each suggestion—including the owl trying to wear, among other things, an inverted lampshade. Wilson’s witty, kindly tone will resonate with readers of preschool age and beyond. An image of the humiliated owl, forced by less-than-sympathetic adults to sit on a bubble-wrapped chair while awaiting clean clothes, is paired with a great zinger aimed at said grown-ups. The ending is equally strong—and surprisingly sweet. While other books use humor to downplay the mortification of peeing one’s pants, this one stands out by embracing the embarrassment and using that momentum to remove the stigma.
A number-one hit! (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781250910172
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
Echoes of Runaway Bunny color this exchange between a bath-averse piglet and his patient mother. Using a strategy that would probably be a nonstarter in real life, the mother deflects her stubborn offspring’s string of bath-free occupational conceits with appeals to reason: “Pirates NEVER EVER take baths!” “Pirates don’t get seasick either. But you do.” “Yeesh. I’m an astronaut, okay?” “Well, it is hard to bathe in zero gravity. It’s hard to poop and pee in zero gravity too!” And so on, until Mom’s enticing promise of treasure in the deep sea persuades her little Treasure Hunter to take a dive. Chunky figures surrounded by lots of bright white space in Segal’s minimally detailed watercolors keep the visuals as simple as the plotline. The language isn’t quite as basic, though, and as it rendered entirely in dialogue—Mother Pig’s lines are italicized—adult readers will have to work hard at their vocal characterizations for it to make any sense. Moreover, younger audiences (any audiences, come to that) may wonder what the piggy’s watery closing “EUREKA!!!” is all about too. Not particularly persuasive, but this might coax a few young porkers to get their trotters into the tub. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25425-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fresh take on an enduring theme.
When Irie tells her momma she hates her big poofy hair, her momma explains that everything about Irie was perfectly custom made.
Irie wants her hair to swing and bounce like the “pretty hair” that “everyone else” has. But Momma tells her that she didn’t make Irie to be like everyone else. “I made you to be you.” Momma explains that when she was expecting Irie, she talked to God and made special requests. Out of all the skin tones in the world, Momma chose her favorite for Irie. The same for her hair type, her sparkling eyes, her kissable nose, and her bright smile. Momma also chose a good heart for Irie, and when she was born, she was perfect, and as she grew, she was kind. When Momma tells her “you are all of my favorite things,” Irie runs to the mirror and sees herself with new eyes: a “most perfect me.” This sweet, imaginative tale highlights the importance of parental love in boosting children’s self-esteem and will be a touching read-aloud for families who have struggled with issues of fitting in. The story is a challenging one to illustrate; the full-color digital art is warm with soft shades of natural-looking color but struggles to create engaging scenes to accompany Momma’s explanation of her conversation with God. The multiple spreads showing Irie and Momma flying through the atmosphere among clouds, stars, and hearts become a bit monotonous and lack depth of expression. Characters are Black. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A fresh take on an enduring theme. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 3, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-42694-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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