Stop that mop!

PreS-Gr 2--Fed up with mopping slop and glop and never getting to stop, a disgruntled mop abandons its responsibilities and runs away. It is pursued by an assortment of animals, including a hopping rabbit and clopping horse, but the mop outruns and outwits them all. The highly decodable text is mostly limited to a few speech bubbles on each page, with particular emphasis on monosyllabic words ending in that "op" sound. Digitally rendered in comic-style panels, the characters display a wide range of emotion. The mop, which strongly resembles the title character from Fenske's Barnacle Is Bored, is particularly expressive. Like his other early readers, this one is bound to delight fans of Mo Willems and Dr. Seuss. VERDICT Sure to elicit giggles from emerging readers.--Amy Reimann

An inventive riff on "The Gingerbread Boy," featuring the phoneme made famous byHop on Pop. A disgruntled mop is done with the brown "SLOP" and green "GLOP" that a pig continues to "DROP." The mop gleefully decides to "RUN! Run far away!" and blithely bids the pig farewell. The pig's cry of "STOP THAT MOP" summons a bunny, a pony, and a fish. Though they "HOP," "CLOP," and "FLOP," their efforts are in vain. (The fish sports a water-filled helmet so that it can give chase alongside the others.) Although the put-upon mop initially evokes readers' sympathy (who wouldn't want to flee a life of cleaning up slop?), its repeated cry of overweening pride--"But you will NEVER stop this mop!"--eventually calls out for comeuppance. A stop sign is ready to provide it. Though the sign tries to warn the escapee of an impending "DROP," the mop is too full of self-importance to listen. Predictably but satisfyingly, the mop falls off the cliff but fortunately lands ("PLOP") on a blue, vaguely peacock-ish bird passing by. The mop is exuberantly unrepentant, giddily flying off on the bird. Cartoon-style art boldly foregrounds the major players, setting them against minimal backgrounds and giving the mop a distinct personality. This masterful romp makes the very most of its limited vocabulary, entertaining even adult readers while offering beginners humor, suspense, and just plain fun. Laugh-out-loud fare for burgeoning readers and a rollicking celebration of the rebellious spirit.(Early reader. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.