Rot, the Bravest in the World!

Starred review from March 1, 2020
A "scaredy-spud" puts on his brave face. All "mutant potatoes" love mud. Mud is good for playing games, eating, and even sleeping. But few taters have more tender feelings toward muck than Rot. � la Pete the Cat, Rot celebrates mud in song: "Mud between my toes! / Mud in my nose! / Mud is GREAT / wherever it GOES!" When Rot's big brother, Snot, tells Rot about the Squirm that lives "deep down in the mushy muck," his love quickly turns to fear. But he doesn't give up! Instead, Rot imagines himself in various disguises to work up courage. There's "Super Spud" (a superhero), "Sir Super Rot, the Brave and Bold" (a superhero-knight), and even "Sir Super Rot the Pigtato" (a, um, superhero-knight-pig-potato). The disguises are one thing, but, deep down, is Rot really brave enough to face the Squirm? Readers wooed by Rot's charm in Rot: The Cutest in the World (2017) will laugh out loud at this well-paced encore--and it's not just because of the butt cracks. Clanton creates a winning dynamic, balancing Rot's earnestness, witty dialogue, and an omniscient, slightly melodramatic narrator. The cartoon illustrations were created using watercolors, colored pencils, digital collage, and--brilliantly--potato stamps. Clanton's reliance on earth tones makes for some clever, surprising page turns when the palette is broken. Cute and brave--gee, Rot's spud-tacular! (Picture book. 6-8)

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May 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 2-Rot the potato is a protagonist who, like many young children, is both grimy and adorable. He and his mutant potato pals eat mud, play with mud, and sleep in mud. However, when Rot finds the messiest mud pit he's ever seen, his brother, Snot, teases him with a rumor about a scary monster that lives in the mud: the squirm. Rot channels his bravery by putting on a heroic costume before he ventures into the mud. Clanton uses colored pencils and potato stamps for the illustrations, creating spuds that are packed with personality. The book's narration is in monospace font while the humorous dialogue looks handwritten inside of colorful word bubbles. The smart mix of text types makes the story easy to follow; challenging vocabulary words like magnificent and slippery stand out in a larger font. By the end of the story, Rot turns the tables on Snot with a good-natured and funny prank. VERDICT Recommended for purchase. Rot and his brother may be small potatoes, but they share a heartwarming story about bravery and brotherly love.-Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill Public Library, MA

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