Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Potty humor drives this tale of frightening flatulence from Poblocki and Sanchez. When two siblings visit Gramma and Grampa's new house, the elders joke that there's a resident phantom. First-person narration goes on to describe a stenchful night: awakening, the boys attempt to outrace a "ghostly odor," which reeks of "garbage dumps and baby diapers and ZOMBIES!" Neither hiding in the closet nor escaping to the kitchen does the trick, and the narrator, at last tracing the smell's source to his brother's trousers, draws an unlikely conclusion: "THE GHOST IS UP YOUR BUTT!" The duo attempt to "ghost-bust his bottom!"--an event that rouses their grandparents, who clear everything up with a knowing observation ("This place is ripe!"). Digitally colored pencil drawings fill pages with ominous, putrid yellow-green clouds, which waft through descriptions of over-the-top physical humor that embrace the grotesque. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 3--7. (July)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A haunted butt? Who could believe it? But the smells don't lie! When two siblings spend the night at their grandparents' new place for the very first time, they are understandably anxious--after all, with its gothic turrets, the house is intimidating. Plus, the neighbors say that it's haunted. When it's time for bed, strange noises and smells fill the air, and the kids are sure that an angry ghost is lurking nearby. The tension rises with each page turn as the siblings try to outrun whatever spirit is plaguing them. But as they move from place to place, it somehow stays with them. The protagonist suddenly realizes the source of the odd noises: "The ghost is up your butt!" The kids panic, but the truth is revealed dramatically when Grampa and Gramma open the bedroom door and immediately identify the smell, which isn't supernatural at all. "I knew chili for dinner was a bad idea," Gramma says. In Sanchez's illustrations, green and yellow swirls pop against the muted gloom of the house; readers will positively smell the noxious fumes. From the opening lines--"Tonight is a big stinkin' deal"--all the way through to the conclusion, this tale will have readers in stitches with its goofy wordplay. The siblings and their grandmother are tan-skinned; Grampa is brown-skinned. Will have readers giggling from beginning to end.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
