Meekoo and the Big Red Potty by Camilla Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
God, I love what Nosy Crow do with their early years stuff. It’s not just the fact that they include an on/off switch for the sound effects (actual, unutterable genius), but it’s the fact that they take it so seriously. Every book for this age-group is vital, even when the reader themselves might be more concerned with sticking it up their nose than reading it, and Meekoo and the Big Red Potty is a delight. It’s also, frankly, nuts, and I loved it. I think with this age group, you go for broke or you go home, and this is brilliant.
Meekoo is a big bear now, wearing big bear pants, and one day he accidentally wets himself. Later, he feels the “wee-wee feeling again” and runs for his potty instead. He reaches it (hurrah!) and his family come into congratulate him. There’s also two squirrels, a rabbit and a bird, and I am fascinated at the elastic sides of Meekoo’s house but that’s because I’m ancient and also slightly obsessed by the practicalities behind these spreads. However, I digress! This is delightful, because it’s simple – he needs a wee, wets himself, learns from this, doesn’t – and the artwork is lovely. It’s really thick and rounded and so very-inviting. I think rich colour and roundness really works well for this age-group.
There’s also sound. My god, is there ever sound in this book. There’s ‘wee-wee’ sound and ‘leg it up the stairs Meekoo oh my god the tension’ sound, and it’s brilliant? It’s some of the highest quality sound recordings I’ve ever come across in a children’s book, and it’s absolutely off its tree, but my god, if you have a little sproglet that needs help figuring out this whole transition, this book is ideal. It really, really is.
My thanks to the publishers for a review copy.
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Daisy May Johnson 