SPLAT!

Who knew that pigeon poo could be so much fun?

The Vole Brothers are blithely walking down a road and singing a lilting “Tum ti tum ti tum” when out of nowhere, a pigeon flaps by, so close its feet nearly touch the tops of their heads. The bird unloads his white goo right on one of the vole’s heads, causing his brother to laugh, first a “Tee hee hee,” then a “Ho ho ho.” Mirth stops when the soiled brother throws the pigeon poo onto his brother, where it lands with the titular “SPLAT!” Now it’s the other brother who laughs, with a different set of syllables. The newly splatted vole flings off the poo, and it lands on the very pigeon that triggered the problem in the first place. Question marks and exclamation points appear above the Vole Brothers’ heads, until they burst into a “Woo-hoo” of joy. They wave a buoyant goodbye to the pigeon, but they don’t notice that banana peel….Close call. Schwartz’s minimal text consists entirely of exclamations and sound effects, ideal for very young aspiring readers, who are also the ideal audience for poop humor. The ink-and–pencil-crayon illustrations are simple and bright, effectively carrying the narrative along with a heaping helping of slapstick.

Even the most straight-laced will be hard-pressed not to laugh.