Who knew that pigeon poo could be so much fun? The Vole Brothers are blithely walking down a road and singing a lilting "Tum ti tum ti tum" when out of nowhere, a pigeon flaps by, so close its feet nearly touch the tops of their heads. The bird unloads his white goo right on one of the vole's heads, causing his brother to laugh, first a "Tee hee hee," then a "Ho ho ho." Mirth stops when the soiled brother throws the pigeon poo onto his brother, where it lands with the titular "SPLAT!" Now it's the other brother who laughs, with a different set of syllables. The newly splatted vole flings off the poo, and it lands on the very pigeon that triggered the problem in the first place. Question marks and exclamation points appear above the Vole Brothers' heads, until they burst into a "Woo-hoo" of joy. They wave a buoyant goodbye to the pigeon, but they don't notice that banana peel.Close call. Schwartz's minimal text consists entirely of exclamations and sound effects, ideal for very young aspiring readers, who are also the ideal audience for poop humor. The ink-andpencil-crayon illustrations are simple and bright, effectively carrying the narrative along with a heaping helping of slapstick. Even the most straight-laced will be hard-pressed not to laugh. (Picture book. 2-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

This slapstick comedy by the creator of the Mole Sisters stories plays out primarily in the spare ink and pencil-crayon illustrations, especially in Schwartz's expressive characters. A few sound effects (flap flap; splat) and minimal dialogue ("Err"; "Hee hee hee") advance the bare-bones story, but pre-readers should be able to follow the action easily on their own. Out for a walk, two vole brothers look up to see a pigeon flying overhead: "Ooooooo" But then -- "SPLAT!" The clueless pigeon lets loose, dropping a bird-poo bomb on one brother's head (pause here for preschool laughter). His brother's reaction isn't very sympathetic: "Tee hee hee. Ha ha ha. Ho ho ho." Understandably annoyed, Brother #1 throws the poo at Brother #2 and sees just how funny poo on the face is. Brother #2's return volley misses its mark, instead landing -- "SPLAT!" -- on the head of the offending pigeon. The silliness continues with a banana-peel pratfall and more bird poo -- it's all a recipe for a rollicking if rather low-brow story time. kitty flynn (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

PreS-Those discovering the joys of potty humor will delight in this story. During a walk, one brother becomes the recipient of the titular "Splat!" as a pigeon overhead drops a load on his head. Mischief, bickering, creative problem solving, and unexpected justice follow. The brothers' expressions of delight, irritation, and triumph contrast perfectly with the pigeon's wide-eyed vacancy, and the simple setting and vibrant colors keep the focus on the humorous situation. As in Schwartz's earlier titles, the plot is minimal, with perfectly timed illustrations driving the action. Recommended for fans of wordless or near-wordless stories and sweetly irreverent humor.-Sarah Westeren, Richland Library, Columbia, SC (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.