THE POOPY PANTS DANCE

This debut picture book offers an amusing gross-out story in the same vein as Justine Avery’s Everybody Poops! (2019).

Authier’s rhyming couplets describe seven babies who show off their moves when their diapers are full. A blue-eyed, White infant wiggles in a crawl position on the opening spread. “Funky arms, funky feet” describe a slightly older baby with peachy skin; brown, curly hair; and a disco shirt. A young, brown-skinned, brown-haired ballerina uses a dance technique to avoid any leaking. A blond, pigtailed White child in boots and a Western vest with a sheriff star performs a line dance. Next, a brown-skinned, curly-haired baby tackles aerobics, pushing to build up a sweat, and a pale infant with straight, black hair and brown eyes engages in ballroom dancing, with the narrator warning: “Better wipe before it drips.” In the final spread, a very clean, redheaded White baby displays a naked bottom for the “No Pants Dance” to close out the music. The spare text is full of nose-curling descriptions that lap readers who love the gross and stinky will beg to hear again. Independent readers may stumble over a few challenging words (swagger, routine), but the rhymes and illustrations provide context. Wetterich’s diverse cartoon babies all feature wavy lines to represent the smell coming from their diapers (except the cleaned-up, final child). Each dancer is well costumed and reflects the verse, with most of the babies seeming to revel in their stinkiness.

A vibrant dance tale for young readers who enjoy diaper humor.