In this amusing, and mildly scatological, pourquoi tale set during the "Spring of Creation," the animals discover a tiny hairless creature they have never seen before—the first human. As they debate what to do about it (the carnivores suggest eating it), the frog decides to rub its stomach—like its own mother used to do—to see if the creature does anything besides smile. Thus they discover the baby's special gift—farting. They conclude that the baby's purpose is to bring all the animals together with laughter and thus enters the pourquoi : Frogs croak and turtles are always on the move trying to spread the news, and armadillos roll into balls with laughter at the idea that anyone will believe the news when they hear it. Ramirez's rich color-saturated, stylized illustrations recall in some ways the artwork of Pacific Northwest tribes. Longer than most picture books, and perhaps too indelicate for read-alouds with younger audiences, this is perfect for second through fifth graders and their sometimes-crude sense of humor. (Picture book. 2-5)

Gr 2-4 Written in the spirit of a creation myth, this story recounts an early time when Mother Nature decides to send the first human infant to join her other creatures on Earth. At first the animals are repulsed and intrigued by the small, skinless, helpless creaturethe frog tickles its soft belly, which elicits a loud fart. Through their laughter, the bear, the snake, the turtle, the frog, the armadillo, and the skunk cant help but wonder what purpose this seemingly defenseless creature can possibly serve. Has Mother Nature made a terrible mistake? As the animals discuss and debate the relative merits of eating the new creature versus protecting it, the baby continues to delight with his farts and giggles. Finally, catching sight of a beautiful pair of butterflies, the animals decide that Mother Nature does not make mistakes and that this creature, too, will eventually turn into something useful and beautiful. The text in both languages is a bit too dense for early readers but will lend itself well to group readings and discussion. The dark, swirling illustrations, done in a symbolic, indigenous style, are fascinating if a bit sophisticated.