The Terrible Plop



Author: Dubosarsky, Ursula

Illustrator: Joyner, Andrew

Publisher: Penguin Group (Australia) 2009

Genre: Picture Book, Fiction

Age: preschool to middle primary.
Tone : Fable
Description: A group of rabbits are surprised by the sound of a "Terrible Plop". Terrified, the rabbits run away. As they flee, more and more woodland animals join their flight. As word spreads, mass hysteria takes hold of the growing crowd. Eventually the stampeding animals are stopped by a bear, who, full of bravado, grabs a rabbit and orders the poor little creature to take him to "the Terrible Plop!"Oh no! What will happen to the poor little bunny? Hwaaa ha ha haaaaa (evil laugh). I guess you will have to read the book to find out!

This book was made for reading aloud, and is one of those rare finds that appeals to a wide range of age groups. Smaller children will love the comic expressions used on the caste of animal characters, and older children will be inwardly tickled by the story and the twist at the end. I must say when I first flipped through the pages, being the philistine I am, I wasn't terribly impressed by the style of artwork used. I loved the animal's characterization, but was put off by the mismatch of artistic mediums used throughout the pictures. However, the strength of the story and the expressions of the animals easily won me over. Although I don't think the rhymes and language are quite as clever as "The Gruffalo" by Julia Donaldson, this book is a better choice for public storytimes as it can be read to a larger range of age groups.