There's No Such Thing as a Snappenpoop

A delightfully wicked cautionary tale - Brothers beware! Little Brother desperately wants to play but Big Brother just wont let him! Big Brother always played the best games, but his very best game was not letting Little Brother join in. Little Brother begged and pleaded, 'I'll do anything!' he said. Finally, Big Brother agrees to let Little Brother join in with the fun, but only if he goes and fetches him a unicorn. So off Little Brother pops, and he is gone for hours. Big Brother is rather pleased with his plan to get rid of Little Brother. But, imagine his shock when Little Brother returns with a unicorn, asking if he can now join in the game. Unhappy with the size of the unicorn, Big Brother refuses to let Little Brother play unless he fetches him a lion with wings; a triceratops. Each time Little Brother sets off on his quest, he returns successful and ready to play too. But Big Brother always finds fault with the wondrous creature that Little Brother has fetched. Determined to be rid of Little Brother once and for all, Big Brother sends him off to fetch a massive, spiny snappenpoop! What is a snappenpoop you ask? Imagine the scariest monster times a million - that's a snappenpoop. The story ends, just like all cautionary tales should, with a 'mishap' for the character that needs to mend their ways. Although Little Brother could not find a snappenpoop, it just so happens that the snappenpoop had also been sent off to fetch something - a mini mouthy meanie. And he had found Big Brother! So, Little Brother did not get to join in the game after all, but he now knew a unicorn, a winged lion and a triceratops that were very happy to let him join in with the fun. There's No Such Thing as a Snappenpoop! is a devilish delight. Bright and lively illustrations fill the pages, taking the reader on each quest with Little Brother. This fantastic little tale is an excellent way in to looking at other traditional cautionary tales. The repetitive nature of certain structures and phrases through the story make it perfect for imitating. Children could learn and perform the story with ease as well as innovating it to make it their own, perhaps even changing the creatures to ones they know about. 'Snappenpoop' could be used to inspire so many other pieces of creative writing: from instructional writing (how do you actually catch a unicorn or a lion with wings?) to non-chronological reports on mythical creatures and newspaper reports on sightings of magnificent beasts or the mystery if Big Brother. This is a triumph of a story for all ages: an excellent story to read aloud and share and to inspire creative writing. Picture Book / Ages 3-7 years / Reviewed by Torie Walton, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 3+