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A POTATO ON A BIKE by Elise Gravel Kirkus Star

A POTATO ON A BIKE

by Elise Gravel ; illustrated by Elise Gravel

Pub Date: Oct. 8th, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4598-2320-4
Publisher: Orca

Call-and-response hilarity and a bit of potty humor make this a read-aloud delight for tots and caregivers alike.

This sweet little board book is a surefire favorite that toddlers and their adults may well be referring to as Poop Riding a Bicycle for years to come. While that is clearly erroneous—the cover clearly states it’s a potato—no one could fault a child for imagining that the pedaling brown blob on the cover is indeed a happy-go-lucky bowel movement on wheels. Ironically enough, there are two images in the book that do in fact feature either poop or a potty, so this will surely be a hit with young toilet trainers. The format is straightforward, set forth on the opening page, which asks: “Have you ever seen a carrot taking a BATH?” On recto, the response is writ large and loud: “No WAY!” Other ridiculous potential sightings are suggested, all introduced “have you ever seen…”: “a flying toothbrush”; “a dancing cookie”; “a singing tomato”; and, of course, “poop wearing glasses” and “a ball sitting on the toilet.” Each time, the response is the same: “No WAY!” The drawings are adorable, peopled with broccoli that can do math, a tomato that sings, a hockey-player pickle, and a skateboarding cupcake, for example. The final question is, “Someone tickling a baby?” (cue light tickles from caregiver); the response is a resounding, “Yes WAY!”

Lighthearted and wholly engaging nonsense of the first order.

(Board book. 1-4)