Ready for the summer? There’s nothing like a funny book to start off your summer fun. Here are two recent books that are sure to make young readers laugh. In “Problem Solved” (2023, Beach Lane Books, written and illustrated by Jan Thomas, ages 2-7), we see a discouraged looking rabbit standing in the middle of his messy room saying, “Uh-oh.
This is a PROBLEM.” “PROBLEM?! Did I hear someone in there has a PROBLEM?!” we hear through the open window. The friendly, cartoon-like illustrations show Porcupine Pete bursting in, identifying himself as, “Your problem-solving porcupine,” happy to help Rabbit clean his messy room.
Things begin well when Porcupine Pete tells Rabbit that he’ll collect all of his shirts and fold them “verrrrrry carefully.” “Then, I’ll ..
.” we read, and we turn the page to see that he’s going to “Feed them to the goldfish!” “Wait. What???” Rabbit exclaims.
“Problem solved,” Porcupine Pete says with a grin. But Rabbit looks discouraged. He knows his shirts go in the drawer.
Next, it’s the blocks, which Porcupine Pete piles “verrrrrry high” and then gets ready to flush down the toilet. “Stop!” Rabbit yells! So the action continues with Porcupine Pete ready to put away toys, socks and more in places so wrong that they’re funny. Each time, Rabbit knows where his things really go and takes them and puts them away.
Finally, when Porcupine Pete gets ready to put away a newspaper, Rabbit stops him and shows him.
