Butt out! by Heath Mckenzie

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Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742997902
(Age: 4+) Themes: Bottoms. Animals. Conventions. All the well dressed animals are taken aback when the baboon decides to go pantless. The giraffe pushing a market trolley in her natty green frock, grasps her front paws in anguish when she spies him, but baboon tells her, 'sun's out, bums out'. The suited turtle drops his walking stick in surprise and tells the baboon that he has forgotten his pants. 'No', replies baboon, 'I never put any on'. Mother goat unsuccessfully hides her kids' faces from the spectacle, but baboon can only respond that he likes the air between 'my cheeks'. All of the animals take it in turn to remind him to put his pants on, and finally they all come together to try and enforce their way. And they seem to have succeeded until baboon turns around. And the readers will laugh out loud.
A funny tale in which all the words for bottom are included, encouraging younger children to see what each word means, and laugh at the different meanings of the word but/t. I can imagine this as a wonderful read aloud, with children joining in trying to get baboon to change his ways, while others may like to take the role of the baboon in rebuffing their attempts.
Fran Knight

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