PSSST!

Bibliography
Rex, Adam. 2007. Pssst! Harcourt, Inc. ISBN: 9780152058173.

Plot Summary
A girl visits the zoo one day and finds herself having conversations with the zoo animals. All the animals she meets want the girl to bring them something. The zoo animals tell the girl why they needs those things and even pay her money collected by the peacock from the water fountain to buy those things. At the end readers find out that the things were actually for a zoo mobile to help them escape from the zoo.

Critical Analysis
Adam Rex’s Pssst! is unusual and funny with a refreshing story line. Most of the story is very predictable to the children as they know the girl meets a zoo animal on every page with different requests. Adam Rex has been brilliant is providing sensible reasoning for the needs of each animal. For example, the sloth requests the girl to bring them bicycle helmets. When the girl wonders why sloths would need helmets the illustrations show that the sloths are hanging upside down on the tree and one them falls landing straight on his head. The sloths don’t have to explain but the girl knows what the helmets are for!

Illustrations are very lively and detailed. Conversation with each animal is shown on one page in six boxes providing a sequence to the story. The word PSSST! is illustrated creatively depending on the background of the scene. When the girl is talking to the bats, the word PSSST! is in black color with stars on it giving it a starry dark night look. When the girl meets the penguins the word PSSST! is illustrated in white looking like frozen ice.

As children read this book they will be curious to know what happens next. The ending is hilarious and brilliant. Children will want to read this book again and again.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal - This is a clever title for visually sophisticated youngsters who will appreciate the off-the-wall humor (Martha Topol, 10/01/2007).

Publishers Weekly – A very funny excursion. (09/10/2007).