Poopsie Gets Lost

March 1, 2022
Poopsie is ready to escape her dull life, but can she handle adventure? At the urging of the narrator, the beribboned, fluffy white puss leaves her comfy cat bed and ventures outside through the cat door. "Smell that, Poopsie? That is the sweet, sweet smell of freedom...mixed with a little bit of doggie-doo." The narrator claims to know where the best fun is and urges her onward. Poopsie finds herself in a creepy jungle. The narrator cajoles her into swinging on a vine across a pit of cobras...the vine turns out to be a python's tail. Then the narrator persuades her to jump across a river on some rocks...that just happen to be crocodiles. Giving some sleeping fellow kitties (really tigers) a "boop" on their noses turns out to also not be a good idea. After surviving a bat-filled cave, a thicket of carnivorous plants, and a plummet down a waterfall, Poopsie has finally had enough. Going into full ninja mode, she surmounts every obstacle she meets on her way home and gives the deceitful narrator a well-deserved comeuppance. Harrison's latest tale is laugh-out-loud funny and has an adorable protagonist. The watercolor-on-vellum illustrations, a mix of spot and full-bleed art, are vividly imagined. Poopsie isn't a talking cat, but her facial expressions speak volumes. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Feline fun with a touch of clever metafiction. (Picture book. 2-7)

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March 15, 2022
Preschool-Grade 2 Poopsie, a white fluff of a cat wearing a large pink bow, is goaded by the story's narrator into leaving her posh home and adventuring beyond the safety of her yard, where a slapstick series of events ensues that plays upon her inexperience in the wild. She's directed into the jungle outside her yard's wall ("you'll be fine. Excitement is just to the right"), where she is led to swing on a vine that turns out to be a snake and crosses a croc-infested river. And that's just for starters. Each gag is visually presented so that the reader knows what's coming, adding anticipation to the reading experience. Lush illustrations make the most of the inherently funny contrast of a princesslike cat in an untamed jungle. While the narrator is a touch mean-spirited to keep directing Poopsie into danger, it is funny to see her dodge various obstacles and, after an incident with a waterfall, turn the tables by taking control of her story. A Loony Tunes-esque romp for larger collections.

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Starred review from May 1, 2022

PreS-Gr 3-Poopsie is an extremely pampered house cat. Unfortunately, the narrator finds that her behavior makes for a rather boring story and convinces her to go out the cat-flap and into the unknown. Poopsie must then gather her courage and survive the narrator's dangerous suggestions, which include multiple tigers and truly horrible obstacles. In her latest book, Harrison has created a wonderfully engaging tale using extremely simple vocabulary that even the littlest of learners should know, interactive and deadly questions clearly shown against the page, and inventive illustrations that add context and humor. While the text itself makes a comedic story, the pictures really do sell the narrator's interactions with Poopsie and add an extra element of comedy, setting up the surprise-the narrator/reader is the one egging Poopsie on-and providing clues for learners about what might happen next. VERDICT Disarming comedy from start to finish, this suspenseful tale will have children screaming at Poopsie to ignore anyone reading this aloud. Sublime.-Margaret Kennelly

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