Review: Who Wet My Pants? by Bob Shea and Zachariah O’Hora
Who Wet My Pants?
By Bob Shea
Illustrated by Zachariah O’Hora
Little, Brown
ISBN: 9780316525213
$17.99
Grades K-2
Out September 17, 2019
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Find it at:
Schuler Books | Your Library
When I was in first grade I peed my pants at school. It happened near the end of the day, and I managed to sneak out of school without having to fess up. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. It is a testament to the talent of Bob Shea and Zachariah O’Hora that they have taken this common childhood mishap and turned it into a book that is as pleasant as they come. No, Who Wet My Pants? is much more than pleasant – it’s a laugh-out-loud, soon-to-be story time hall of famer.
Reuben the bear has a problem. His pants are wet. In, you know, the front and center zone. Reuben is seemingly dumbfounded. Who wet his pants? Let the wild accusations begin. Reuben throws everyone under the bus before coming to terms with the true identity of the culprit.
Shea handles what can be a touchy topic in a way that invites everyone in. Reuben’s increasingly ridiculous denials puts readers in the position of knowing more than the main character does – a situation that will result in much exasperated laughter as Reuben slowly comes around to what readers plainly see.
Zachariah O’Hora’s illustrations are bright, bold, and hip (but not in an annoying, show-offy way). The art abounds with details that make the world of the story more rich and add to the humor.
Maybe, like me, you’ve wet some pants in your day. Maybe you have some readers in your life who have. Or maybe not. Who Wet My Pants? is a book for us all. It’s sure to be one of the funniest of 2019.
Review copy from the publisher.
Watch this series of Who Wet My Pants? book trailers:
Filed under: *Best New Books*, Reviews
About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
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