The Wind in the Wallows

PreS-Gr 2—Do we really need another fart book? The usually reliable team of Willis and Ross seems to think so. The book begins with a group of overdressed frogs and newts enjoying the summer sunshine by a pond when a fish below notices a "Bang! And then Pop! And then Poop! And then Parp!" along with the accompanying disgusting smell. The fish and tadpoles accuse one another, then put the blame on some local cows, who accuse some recently shorn sheep, who point to a hobo fox, who thinks it's a group of owls, who are certain the pigs are at fault. Fortified with nose-blocking clothespins sold by an enterprising rat, an angry mob of animals sets out to find the true culprit, who turns out to be a boy in a scout uniform feasting on several cans' worth of beans. Willis's rhymes scan nicely, but the plot is far inferior to her usual creative stories. Ross goes overboard in trying to infuse some humor into his illustrations by dressing and accessorizing various wildlife. Pages feature multiple brown squiggly blobs floating in the air in case readers need another hint about what that awful smell is supposed to be. Children who can't get enough of books featuring gross bodily functions may think this one is amusing, but it is a nonessential purchase for most libraries.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT