Picture book chuckles

Who Took the Toilet Paper
by Amy Harrop & Jenny Cooper

Three things little ones like in a picture book –
– a story in verse form
– toilet humour
– great illustrations
This new title from Scholastic has all three.
   It’s centred on the Bear family’s privy in the woods. Sorry, ‘privy’ is not a term used in the text. Toilet, dunny, loo, yes. 
So, plenty of toilet humour – literal in this case. 
    Rhymes? Amy Harrop’s verses lay out the dilemma. While Father Bear sits, bum getting numb, the rest of the family, all busy creatures, race around trying to come up with a solution to the mystery, and his problem.
                          We heard him growl and grumble,
                          “What is this silly caper?
                          I’ve been looking everywhere…
                          ​Who took the toilet paper?”
     That’s 2 of the 3. So to the illustrations. Jenny Cooper’s imagination excels here, making them a winner with children. The faces of the characters express the various responses beautifully.
     The story might not be Dad’s favourite, for good reason, but the rest of the family should chuckle over this one.

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Review by Emily R

Title: Who Took the Toilet Paper
Author: Amy Harrop & Jenny Cooper
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 9781775437659
RRP: $21.99
Available: bookshops