Can Somebody Please Scratch My Back?

An elephant has an unscratchable itch in the middle of its back. Climo (the Rory the Dinosaur books) draws the petite gray protagonist alone on an expanse of white, so when he sends out a call for help (which is identical to the book's title), his plaintiveness is positively existential. Other animals come along, but the help they offer is ambivalent, incompetent, or downright dangerous. A hungry crocodile is a little too eager, and meerkats become inadvertent ticklers. Finally, a shy, sweet porcupine shows up and becomes the perfect backscratcher. This would be the beginning of a beautiful friendship in most stories--especially those with cartooning as adorable as Climo's--but not this one. Once the elephant has what he needs, he hurls the porcupine into the distance, and John (The Bad Seed) has him remark to no one in particular, "Finally! Somebody who was actually helpful!" Adults who dabble in occasional misanthropy could find it funny, but children with a strong sense of fairness may cry foul. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. Illustrator's agent: Kathleen Ortiz, New Leaf Literary. (Mar.)

PreS-Gr 2--Poor Elephant has a terrible itch on his back and just cannot scratch it on his own. So, he seeks the help of an assortment of animals. Each one fails to relieve him of his itch: Snake has no hands, Sloth is much too slow, and Croc is just plain untrustworthy. Finally Elephant comes across Hedgehog whose prickly back makes an excellent back scratcher! A funny surprise ending will have audiences laughing out loud. Simple yet expressive illustrations help highlight the humor of the story and Elephant's anguish. VERDICT A funny read-aloud suitable for any classroom or library.--Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh