Who Wet My Pants?

The animal scout troop is gathered around the campfire, and Reuben, a bear, is just about to hand out donuts when everyone notices a crescent-shaped wet patch at the crotch of his pants. The bear immediately and improbably deflects the blame: "Who wet my pants?" he shouts, and he begins accusing his friends of doing the deed. But the other scouts, who include a yeti, a turtle, and a hippo, don't rise to the bait; in fact, they're models of discretion and understanding. "Don't worry about it, Reuben," a dog scout says. "It could happen to anyone." Reuben never does own up (a funny flashback explains the accident's cause) and ultimately faults his "leaky broken pants" for causing him to blame his pals. His friends, for their part, wisely move on--and start passing the donuts. The woodsy-hued pictures feature thick black outlines and flattened perspectives in Ohora's trademark style; text told via dialogue balloons lends hilarity. Shea (Crash, Splash, or Moo!) and Ohora (Bikes for Sale) make a terrific team, creating a comedy that is at both laugh-out-loud off-kilter and deeply humane. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 2--Reuben is going on a camping trip with his scout group, and when he arrives to the campsite he has wet pants. He wants to know who is responsible. All of Reuben's friends are supportive and tell him that it is okay if he wet his pants; it happens to everyone. However, Reuben is sure that someone else wet his pants. As Reuben retraces his steps and confronts his friends, he slowly comes to the realization that no one else wet his pants. The pants are broken! Reuben forgives his friends and shares the donuts he has brought along. The illustrations are done in bold colors and offers compelling details of the work that needs to be completed on a camping trip. The other animals are cute, and offer Reuben understanding and compassion as he struggles with his wet pants. The message of the book is for kids to learn to offer understanding and empathy when something embarrassing happens to a friend. It even shows Reuben behaving in an illogical way, but his friends still love him. VERDICT A cute story to help teach social emotional learning.--Nicole Detter-Smith, Homestead High School, IN