Poopendous!

by Artie Bennett

illustrations by Mike Moran

Blue Apple Books

4 Stars

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Inside Jacket:  .      .   .      .    .        .    . .       .    Ever wanted to ask about it,

          but felt a little shy?

          Inside these pages you’ll discover,

the who, the how, the why!

Get the scoop and scuttlebutt.

Become an expert on you-know-what!

Though it may offend and stink,

there’s more to poop

that you might think!

First Sentence:  I’m Professor Pip Poopdeck.

Poopendous! is the sequel to the hit children’s book The Butt Book (see below).  In Poopendous!, Professor P. Poopdeck takes readers on a tour of, um . . . uh, poop.  That’s right.  Poop.  That stuff we step on when the neighbor refuses to clean up after their miniature horse, or their untrained seagull.  Professor P. explains that every creature must, because it is a part of “like’s routine.”  He gives examples of the different cultural words for poop.  “Guano” is the Incan word and “doo-doo” is the word a baby might say.

Professor P. Poopdeck lets the readers know all sorts of fascinating facts about poop. Monkeys call it “dung” and when stressed will fling it to decompress.  Most dogs bark at the door when they need to relieve themselves.     Professor P. P. points out the different shapes ranging from the small flecks from flies, to the large patties from the elephant.

Professor P. Poopdeck seems to have the most fun talking about the different ways some creatures use poop, whether their own or another creature’s.  Termites use their own to build make a mound—to live in, while the aptly named dung beetle rolls its poo up for a late night snack or a breakfast buffet.

Poop helps the world survive. Without poop the plants would not be able to take their roots down as far as needed.  On the subject, a seed from inside a critter’s poop could travel from where ever you are, to Guadeloupe—unless you live in Guadeloupe, in which case it travels the other way.    The yak’s deposit can seal the Mongol yurt and keep the weather out.

Poopendous!  will delight every child aged two to six (teen). Professor P. Poopdeck speaks in a metered verse, and his rhyming scheme works, except for two difficult passages (no pun intended).  Children are curious about their poop and Poopendous!will help answers their questions, while the little ones conjure up more.  They will learn a few things—as did I—and laugh at every page.

The illustrations are colorful and fun. Not a scene was made that did not hold tons of humor.  Humans follow the good professor from page-to-page, as do children and pets. Many have a great time acting out the things he tells the reader. If Dr. P. P. said to plug your nose, beast to feathered bird find a way to free a hand/paw/beak to squeeze their noses.

I do like Poopendous!  It is a silly book, with thick pages for sticky toddler fingers.  The author wisely did not take the subject as seriously as he could.  By keeping it light-hearted he grabs our attention, tickles our funny bones, and opens our ears and brains to learning something new about a subject few of us would care to broach; but the little ones in our lives have no hesitation.

Your children will love the goofy guide and all the animals that help him explain the what, where, why, and how of poop. (Sorry, no “when.”). If you have a toddler playing with his ca-ca, or a preschooler who must know if birds do-do, Poopendous! is the book for you.  It is a wacky guide to all things number two. How often does the second of anything become worthy of a book?  Forget the library and all their pamphlets and books.  Poopendous! is a one-of-a-kind, following the footsteps of its big brother The Butt Book, featured next.

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Poopendous

by Artie Bennett      WEBSITE
illustrations by Mike Moran    WEBSITE
Blue Apple Books    WEBSITE
Released March 27, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-60905-190-7
36 pages
Ages: 4 to 8

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Copyright © 2012 by Blue Apple Books, used with permission.
Text: copyright © 2012 by Artie Bennett
Illustrations: copyright © 2012 by Mike Moran

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ζ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ζ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ζ

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The Butt Book

by Artie Bennett

illustrated by Mike Lester

Bloomsbury U.S. A. Children’s Books

5 Stars

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Inside Jacket:  Why do we have butts?  Perchance, a place to place our underpants?  Tall butts, small butts, flat butts, fat butts. Butts on mummies and butts on mommies. Butts on giraffes and elephants and dogs and . . . FISH?  Dozens of hysterical rhymes and loads of laugh-out-loud pictures pay homage to an unsung body part that keeps both kids and grown-ups giggling with glee.  Bottoms Up!

First Sentence:  Eyes and ears are much respected, but the butt has been neglected.

The Butt Book is a rhyming discourse on the bottom.  The butt, the book proclaims, does not get respect.  The mission of The Butt Book is to change how we all view our rears.  The formal name is buttocks, but its been cut to butt.  Butts are as individual as snowflakes.  There are,

“tall butts, small butts, flat buts , and  fat butts.”

Buttocks may be the formal name, but there are other words for butt.

“ . . . tuchas, keister, derriere.”

“Fanny, bottom, heinie, rear . . .”

The butt is further confused in England where the butt is a bum.  What do the English call a bum?  The Butt Book does not contain much explanation.  It simply lets us know the butt gets no respect and is often the butt of jokes.  On the plus side, some butts have jobs.  The baboon butt helps it sit on a stump and a skunk butt can spray to keep danger away.  Only one creature is without a butt, The Butt Book proclaims.  The rest of us have butts of steel to shake, to sit, to swivel to show.

I like The Butt Book because it is a fun book to read a-loud.  There is information I had never thought much about before now.  Who knew my butt, a bit too big, was in dire need of respect?  Children think of the butt more in terms of a joke than with respect.  The Butt Book wants to change all of that.  I think kids will read this book more than twice, cubed.  I think the children will love Mike Lester’s illustrations of butts in various sizes and proportions.  Parents may not “get” this book, but children will.

The illustrations are “butt”tastic.  I have never seen such variety of butts on so few pages.  The illustrations have loads of action, lots of color, and a variety of creature butts kids will enjoy.  One look at the cover let me know I would enjoy this book.  The cover catches your eye and calls you over, begging you to check out its pages.

The Butt Book is not a distasteful book, though I suspect your children will become vocal about butts, hopefully in the respectful way the book asks of them.  The pages are thick.  Great for little hands that may want to check out a butt, not being able to see their own . . . yet!  Parents can relax there are no foul words.  This really is a children’s book, with appropriate language and lots of laughs.

The Butt Book is the kind of book that will have reluctant readers interested in giving reading another try.  While aimed at younger children, older kids will enjoy the book for different reasons.The Butt Book is Mr. Bennett’s first children’s picture book.  Poopendous (see above) is picture book number two.  The wonderfully written rhymes, range of difficult words, and detailed illustrations make The Butt Book and Poopendous respectable picture books your children will enjoy.

AWARDS

Reuben Award for Book Illustration

The Huffington Post’s Best Feel-Good Children’s Book for April

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The Butt Book

by Artie Bennett     WEBSITE
illustrated by Mike Lester     WEBSITE   BLOG
Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books       WEBSITE
Released December 22, 2009
ISBN:  978-1-59990-456-6
32 pages
Ages: 5 and up

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Copyright © 2010 Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books
Text: copyright ©2010 by Artie Bennett
Illustrations: copyright © by Mike Lester, used with permission

 

 

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