Synopsis
'The Butt Book:' The 'end' is what it's all about
The other day, you were watching TV and you got up for a minute to get something. When you came back, your brother had taken your seat and it's not like it had your name on it or anything, but still. He wouldn't get up, so you had to plant yourself somewhere else to watch TV and grumble.
Man, that makes you so mad!
Did you ever notice that, no matter where you sit, you're sitting on the same seat? You can thank your butt for that and more, as you'll see in "The Butt Book" by Artie Bennett, illustrated by Mike Lester.
Listen up. Use your ears. Look over here. Open your eyes. People are always telling you to use what's on your face, but has anybody ever told you to use your butt? Probably not, so this book aims to get your butt the respect it deserves.
Behinders come in many sizes. Some are bigger than others, some are flat and some kind of stick out. No matter what yours looks like, you were born with the one you have and you can't change it.
You might call your butt by a different name. It might be a tushy to you, or a tuchus, bottom, rear-end, heinie, backside or something else very different. In other countries, it might be called a derriere or a keister. Don't be confused, but in England, your butt would be called a "bum". No matter what you call it, it's still the same thing.
Even animals have butts. Elephant hinders are enormous. Giraffe's butts are waaaay up high. A mouse has a tiny one and a dog's wags hard when he's glad to see you. Fish have butts, but snakes - no, not so much.
So why do you have a butt? Well...it's a good place to put your underpants. It's a great place to sit. You can shake it when you dance. Without it, you wouldn't be able to ride your bike or sit on a seesaw or swing or do anything! Butts, as you can see, are as important as your eyes or ears, your head or your heart. In fact, in the end, your butt is probably one of the most useful things you've got.
Does your child have a bookshelf all his or her own? You can forget using it for awhile if you bring home this hilarious book. "The Butt Book" is going to become the most-read thing in your house.
If you asked me which I liked better - the pictures or the poem about patooties - I'd have a hard time deciding. Author Artie Bennett's rhyme is catchy and as cute as a bug's rear but on the other hand, the illustrations by Mike Lester are funny, too. In The End, you won't be able to keep from smiling at either one.
Perfect for read-aloud sessions, this book contains humor that any 4-to-8-year-old will love. So reach around and grab a copy of "The Butt Book", sit your fanny down and enjoy!
The Bulletin
The text rattles on for a little too long without any particularly conclusive destination, but it's energetic, amusing, and yet largely tasteful, and the verse is reliably and rewardingly silly. Goofily drafted scratchboard figures, with a geometric regularity to the hatchwork that suggests linocuts, are tinted with softly regular shades that emphasize flesh tones and fanciful animal hues. Uses this for revving up the silliness anytime, or for bringing a health and anatomy lesson to a satisfyingly comic end.