Animals in the Outhouse

by Anja Frohlich, Gergely Kiss (Illustrator)

Overview

One morning all of the animals in the forest awake to discover an intruder in their midst! It’s a bright blue outhouse, installed by the park ranger who is tired of the forest smelling nasty and his dog walking in stinky animal poop! From now on, the animals must do their business in the outhouse. Dr. Grunter the boar, Billy the bear, Harriet the hare, Prickly the hedgehog, Fancy the fox, Antony the stag, and Olive the owl all do their very best to use this strange and unnatural device. But was the outhouse really such a good idea? Mishap ensues as each animal tries to impress the others by pooping in the plastic, portable potty. 
Animals in the Outhouse shows children it is never worth doing something you are uncomfortable with just for the sake of fitting in. Children will love this silly story that is also a lesson about conformity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620873182
Publisher:	Sky Pony
Publication date:	05/01/2012
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	28
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

ANJA FRÖHLICH was born in 1964 and spent half of her childhood in sunny Rome and the other half in chilly Sauerland, Germany. She studied film, art history, and psychology at
Cologne. She was employed as a film editor and advertising copywriter until her son, Leon,
released her from all firm commitments when he was born in 1995. She has been working as a freelance copywriter, journalist, and author ever since. She lives in Germany.

GERGELY KISS, a native of Hungary, has been working as a freelance illustrator and portrait caricaturist since 2006. He has already published a number of picture books and received various awards. He lives in Munich, Germany.

Editorial Reviews

Hoping to instill a sense of bathroom decorum among the forest animals, a ranger leaves a blue outhouse in a clearing in this story first published in Germany. Professor Grunter, a wild boar, arrives first with newspaper in hand. But, intimated by the toilet’s “deep dark” hole, he bluffs about having used it. Kiss’s quirkily expressive cartoons are an excellent match for the outrageously silly premise. Like Grunter, other animals have anxious moments in the outhouse, failing to use the toilet but feigning triumph, giving the story a hint of The Emperor’s New Clothes. As Harriet the rabbit exits, she haughtily announces, “It is about time we animals had a decent lavatory.” Amid the humor, Fröhlich sneaks in a subtle lesson about peer pressure. Parents should prepare for repeat readings: this joke is unlikely to get old soon. Ages 4–8. (May)

Publishers Weekly