Poop

PreS-Gr 2–A raccoon and a mouse mosey down the street, accumulating friends and words that rhyme with poop. Raccoon enjoys the frisson of saying the word poop—a feeling many kids will understand—so he uses it a lot. Mouse patiently redirects every time, using a rhyming word. “Nope, coop,” Mouse offers as they meet up with the denizens of a hen house. A visual hint to the rhyme appears on each preceding page, allowing for predictions and some extra focus on word families. The illustrations display a goofy charm, with an array of retro outfits; a tiger sports stripes and suspenders and the bevy of chicks could be extras in Grease. Some of the hints and redirections fall a little flat—children probably won’t guess the rhyme “loop” from the image of swirling yarn and they won’t find the new vocabulary thrilling. But a game reader should be able to provoke hysterics in storytime, as Raccoon repeats the title utterance with increasing vigor. When Raccoon’s ice cream (“scoop!”) falls to the ground, the favored word finally, sadly, suits the moment. For literal readers, a squatting pug on the last page delivers the goods.