WHERE A BOOGER GOES

This children’s picture book explains in humorous kid terms why good nasal hygiene is important and how to practice it. 

“Yes, boogers are gross,” admits this book, but they’re not just that: “This special mucus has quite a big job. / It slurps tiny germs and makes them a blob.” But where do they go when they leave your nose? In rhyming couplets, the book presents a variety of gross scenarios for how young children tend to deal with boogers: wiped on a sleeve, deposited beneath a chair, smeared on one’s face, wiped onto a dog, shoved up inside a nostril, and worse…disgustingly worse. (Readers with weak stomachs may need to skip a page or two.) What’s the problem, besides grossness? Boogers are filled with germs, so to avoid spreading sickness, children should use a tissue and throw it away properly into the trash. Not only does this help people, the boogers like it: “Your boogers work hard / And they do their best. / So please grant their wish / For soft, comfy rest.” A glossary is included. In his debut book, Andrews addresses a legitimate problem and helps kids understand the why behind hygiene rules—not in a scolding way but with humor, jokes, and silliness. His rhyming couplets scan well with an appealing rhythm. Long’s (Terrible Tom & Mabel, 2014, etc.) illustrations are funny, colorful, and all too expressive for some readers but will appeal to most kids.

An entertainingly helpful approach to teaching kids what they all should know: Use a tissue.