Splat!

May 8, 2017
Burgerman’s first children’s book is a mess—in a good way. He opens with a rhetorical question for readers: “What happens when you turn the page?” On the accompanying left-hand page, readers see a fluffy green object, and a smiley face appears on the right. By turning the page, children essentially smash the face onto the green blob, creating a (rather dazed-looking) creature with a giant “Splat!” It’s a natural lead-in to a classic pie-in-the-face gag, and the increasingly cranky creature gets blasted with confetti, turned into a sandwich, visited by insects and chicks, and bombarded by water balloons with subsequent page turns, each punctuated with all-caps splashes and splats. Set against bright, crayon-colored backdrops, Burgerman’s cartoons, outlined in thick black lines, are as in-your-face as it gets—fitting, given that “in your face” is basically this book’s raison d’être. It’s good, not so clean fun that will delight fans of slapstick comedy, as well as those who love to be in the thick of things when mischief is being made. Ages 3–5.

April 15, 2017
Ever wonder what happens to the previous page after you've turned to the next?Each double-page spread displays two unrelated images. The first left-hand page shows an undefined, solid green shape--maybe a cartoony treetop with some curlicues--on a flat pink background. On the right-hand page, a solid yellow background features googly eyes and a smile. "What happens when you turn the page?" queries the text. Do so, and--"SPLAT!"--on the next spread's left-hand side, the googly eyes have been pressed onto the obscure green shape, which is now a character's face. Across from the green character sits a yellow pie; readers know that when they turn the page, that pie will slam into the green character. The pattern continues: confetti onto the be-pied face, glasses on top of that, then a sandwich, then ladybugs. Small yellow birds who enjoy "insect sandwiches" transfer delicately, without being squashed at all, despite the text's bold assertion to the contrary: "SQUASH!" Everything lands on top of everything else until a spinning electrical fan somehow neatens the scene--before one last splat. Burgerman's bright colors are matte and flat; bold black outlines make the pages pop. The concept is the draw, and while it may not beg repeated readings, it's good for a laugh. A gimmick, though a playful one. (Picture book. 3-5)

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