The Book of Boys (for Girls) & The Book of Girls (for Boys)
PreSchool-Grade 2–In this playful picture book, boys and girls go toe-to-toe in rhyming couplets. Each group is thoroughly offended by the other, and what begins with general disdain quickly–and predictably–deteriorates. By the sixth spread, the gloves are off, and both teams break out the potty humor. Boys cause girls to fight/Though they'll whine that it's not true/They'll fart out loud like dynamite/and blame the fart on you. The accompanying illustration features a fuzzy white dog hurtling out a window and through the air, borne aloft by the aforementioned explosion. Of course, in the end the children each recognize the many saving graces of the opposite gender, and everyone walks away friends. Allen's busy, cheerful illustrations don't always correspond to the text–instead of wiping boogers on his sleeve, one little boy is plainly depicted wiping them right onto his bare arm–but they still capture the tone and spirit of the narrative. The lighthearted verse is recommended for its irreverent and highly accessible–if occasionally lowbrow–appeal.–Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SCCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.