Having learned their lesson in Pat the Beastie (1993, reissued 2009), two formerly abusive children play nicer with their giant green pet in this follow up.
Happily, Drescher still goes for the gross-out. Following a reprise of the previous episode’s events, young Paul and Judy whirl out from the belly of the Beastie on a pull-tab tongue and take literal spins on the playground carousel (“It’s a Queasy-Nart!!” comments a little side figure, in a typical example of the level of humor here). They then stagger off to a game of lift-the-flap hide and seek, some tooth brushing, a bit of dress up and finally a gassy snuggle in bed beneath a scrap of fabric. Aside from one flat spread, each of the garishly colored cartoon scenes features a different add-on or moving part—from a glued-in booklet or a fuzzy stretch of tongue to a kaleidoscopic spinner and an unusual pull-out accordion fold. The moving parts won’t survive much repeated manipulation, but fart jokes never get old (to some).
Behavior modeling, with an occasional welcome snigger. (Pop-up picture book. 6-8)
