Problem Solved!

by Jan Thomas, Jan Thomas (Illustrator)

Overview

Rabbit hopes Pete the Problem-Solving Porcupine can get her out of a bind only to wind up with more issues than she started with in this hilarious and relatable picture book.

Rabbit has a problem! Her room is a mess. Luckily, Pete the Problem-Solving Porcupine shows up just in time. He can save the day! Except...things don’t go quite to plan, and Rabbit realizes that Pete may actually be a problem-causer! Can Rabbit find a way to solve this unexpected new dilemma before chaos ensues?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665939997
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	08/29/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.70(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jan Thomas is the creator of Rhyming Dust Bunnies; Can You Make a Scary Face?; Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny!; Is Everyone Ready for Fun?; Even Robots Aren’t Perfect; Even Robots Can Be Thankful!; Let’s Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy; Problem Solved!; and A Scrub in the Tub. She lives in Socorro, New Mexico.

Jan Thomas is the creator of Rhyming Dust Bunnies; Can You Make a Scary Face?; Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny!; Is Everyone Ready for Fun?; Even Robots Aren’t Perfect; Even Robots Can Be Thankful!; Let’s Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy; Problem Solved!; and A Scrub in the Tub. She lives in Socorro, New Mexico.

Editorial Reviews

05/22/2023

Via her signature color-block art and high-energy humor, Thomas (Even Robots Aren’t Perfect!) kicks off with a familiar scenario in which a problem’s proposed fix causes more trouble than the issue itself. When Rabbit’s room grows so messy that there’s no space to “go hippity-hoppity,” Rabbit declares that it’s a problem. Luckily, Pete the Problem-Solving Porcupine overhears this lament out a window and pops right in, ready to take the case. Just when it appears that some Marie Kondo–level tidying is about to go down, Pete turns the tables: after carefully folding all of Rabbit’s shirts, the porcupine determines to “FEED THEM TO THE GOLDFISH!” But what Pete views as a problem solved requires Rabbit’s action to avert disaster. Pete tackles each mess with similarly chaotic verve—trying to flush toys down the toilet and place art in the bathtub—until Rabbit’s defensive moves get the job done. And Rabbit even solves the new conundrum in the bargain, alerting Pete to another client... on Mars. Thomas’s fans will find much to giggle at as they take in the hijinks of this jovial order-from-chaos tale. Ages up to 8. Agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

2023-05-24
Porcupine Pete knows just how to fix Rabbit’s problem.

Rabbit’s room is a mess—Rabbit can’t go “hippity-hoppity” without stepping on something. But Porcupine Pete is here to help. Porcupine Pete’s ideas range in success. Carefully folding all of Rabbit’s shirts is a good idea, but feeding those shirts to the goldfish is not—despite Porcupine Pete’s enthusiastic “PROBLEM SOLVED!” Luckily, Rabbit steps in and places the shirts neatly in the dresser. Stacking all the blocks helps tidy the room, but Pete’s suggestion of flushing them down the toilet is less than ideal. Again, Rabbit catches Pete in time and stows the toys safely. It’s unclear whether Pete has poor problem-solving skills or is using reverse psychology, but either way, Rabbit modifies each of Pete’s giggleworthy suggestions, and soon every object is in its rightful place. (Caregivers may pick up ideas for encouraging little ones to clean up their own rooms.) It looks like Pete is out of a job until the friends read a newspaper reporting that scientists on Mars are in need of help. Will the scientists there be able to cope with Porcupine Pete’s wild ideas? This goofy tale has just a few well-selected words per page; the text is primarily made up of speech bubbles. Thick-lined cartoon illustrations set against solid backgrounds are rich with emotion, action, and humor. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Will help parents solve a perennial problem with humor and empower children to turn cluttered rooms into neat ones. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews