Problem Solved!
by Jan Thomas; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary    Beach Lane/Simon    40 pp.
8/23    9781665939997    $15.99
e-book ed.  9781665940009    $10.99

Rabbit stands in the middle of her messy bedroom: “Uh-oh. This is a PROBLEM.” In pops Porcupine Pete, “Your Problem-Solving Porcupine,” who, in the tradition of many self-proclaimed helpers in children’s literature, proceeds to escalate the problem exponentially. As ever, Thomas (The Chicken Who Couldn’t, rev. 11/20) has her finger on the pulse of the storytime crowd. Pete tries to feed Rabbit’s shirts to the goldfish, to flush toys down the toilet, and more. His “PROBLEM SOLVED!” refrain is as catchy as it is misleading, and kids will happily chant along. Rabbit begins to realize that she needs to get rid of Pete; she sees a newspaper report and tells him: “The scientists need a problem solver on Mars. They need you!” A coda reveals the Mars scientists’ reaction to Pete (spoiler alert: not great). Thomas’s digital illustrations are thick-lined, vibrant, and slick. This is a rollicking read-aloud, and with its straightforward language, repetitive vocabulary, and cyclical, predictable plot, it also serves the needs of beginning readers.

From the September/October 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.