“What do you do with a Kangaroo?…You throw him out, that’s what you do! Get out of my bed you Kangaroo!”
This is an absolute must have picture book. A spunky girl’s day begins when she finds a demanding kangaroo in her bed. She drags him out by the tail only to find an opossum using her toothbrush and complaining about her toothpaste. As her day goes on, she faces a blue jean stealing llama, a finger bowl demanding raccoon, a moose who would like to be washed in apricot juice and many other entitled beasts. Each one must be removed by the determined girl. And she is no sissy. Oh no, she does not even wince as she shoves a Bengal tiger from her tricycle. Mercer Meyer’s illustrations are a treat, especially the final page, where you learn what happens when you can’t throw them out – in a scene many parents will find familiar, the little girl lies in her bed positively covered in animals. (Ahem. It’s possible this is why I was given this book. I don’t believe there was ever a final count on how many stuffed animals I could get in the bed.)
Great for: Children who want to boss around misbehaved animals. Think you’ll poke your eyes out with one more reading of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!? Never fear, our tough little heroine will give you a break. The vocabulary is much more sophisticated than the Pigeon series, so What Do You Do With A Kangaroo? will grow well with your readers. Little ones will simply like telling the animals to get out, while older listeners will be entertained by the animals’ wild demands.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – There is a small curve of butt-cheek exposed as our heroine battles a bathtub draining camel wearing naught but a towel and shower cap.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – I’m afraid animals are pushed, pulled, shoved, hoisted and lowered, poked and prodded. But they deserved it. Especially that tiger who threatened to eat her.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
I love this series of childhood favorites you are doing now. So many of them have stood the test of time (as it were) and you are right; they were chosen for a reason- the readers wanted to be as entertained as the listener!