Butt or Face?, Vol. 2: Revenge of the Butts

Butt or Face? #2

by Kari Lavelle

Are you ready for round two of the hilarious guessing game picture book? Discover fascinating facts about animals while guessing if you're looking at a butt or a face! Butt or Face? Volume 2 continues the delightfully cheeky challenge with a whole new set of animals from all over the world. Examine a close-up photo of an animal and then guess whether you're looking at the top or the…um…bottom. The answer is revealed on the next page with a compete photo of the animal! Also included are factual animal details along with how these animals use camouflage or other trickery to engage with their home. Readers will discover animals like the alien butt spider who turns leaves into burrito-like hideaways, the leaf-tailed gecko whose body mimics the leaves and bark of a tree, and many more!

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Humor, Science, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

Published April 2, 2024

About the author

Kari Lavelle is the New York Times Bestselling author of the BUTT OR FACE? series, WE MOVE THE WORLD (HarperCollins 2021), and AN ODE TO GRAPEFRUIT: HOW JAMES EARL JONES FOUND HIS VOICE (Knopf 2024). She has always had a love for words: as a kid reading books, as a speech pathologist helping children communicate, and now as a writer creating stories. She grew up in the Midwest but now lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, their two children, and doggos, Dobby and Lando. Learn more about Kari and her books at karilavelle.com.

Reviews

[Rosh (on a medical break) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: Quite similar to the first book BUTT with new animals and new butts and faces to sort out from. Great as a classroom resource.

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When I had read 'Butt or Face?', I wish I had known that there was a second book in the offing. I used all my *booty*licious puns in that review, and have *bottom*ed out of *face*tious vocabulary. Kindly *ass*cuse the lack of *cheek*iness in the rest of this write-up.

The format is the same as in the first book. We have some tricky photos of some part of an animal’s anatomy, and the reader has to answer a simple question – is it a butt or a face?

As kids enjoy potty humour, I am sure they will have fun with their guesses. To add to the fun, ask kids if they can guess which animal, or even which species the depicted butt or face belongs to. That is much, much trickier!

The answer is provided on the next page, along with the complete photo of the creature. (I love books that present animal facts with actual pictures instead of using illustrations – it makes a huge difference.) This is accompanied by some interesting trivia about the animal, which comes under some *fanny*tastic headings. (Yay! One pun slipped in!)

I read this book along with my younger daughter, and we had a nice time competing over who could guess the most right answers. (It was a tie!) A couple of the animals were too familiar to both of us, but there were enough novel creatures to keep us both happy. Some of them are so weird-looking that I couldn’t figure out where the butt or face was even after seeing the whole image.

There is a little author’s note about what inspired this series. I can’t recollect if this was present in the first book as well, but I enjoyed reading it as it contained quite an interesting fact.

Finally, there’s a table, detailing the habitats and the eating preferences of the animals pictured in the book.

The only reason I am not going higher in my rating is that it offered exactly the same experience as the first book, which is great for consistency but also feels like too much of a good thing. There’s no pushing of the bar in terms of novelty. (Such a tough demand to make of an author, right?)

All in all, this is a fun and informative read that ought to work excellently in classrooms as a guessing game. The humour will appeal to the target age of 6-10 years. Younger ones can also have fun guessing the butt or face part, but the trivia might be too advanced for them in vocabulary.

4 stars.


My thanks to Sourcebooks Kids and NetGalley for the DRC of “Butt or Face? Revenge of the Butts”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.







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[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for my toddler's bedtime. This book makes learning fun. A nonfiction book about animals. The first page, readers get to guess a close up picture of an animal whether it is a butt or a face and then the next page, the animal is revealed. There will be facts of the animals like how much foods they eat, where they live, what they use their colors for, how tall they are, and how they attract mates along with keeping predators away and themselves protected. There are different animals even I haven't heard of such as axolotl but there are recognizable animals like giraffes and geckos. Great interactive book for kids and young readers. I like the map at the end of the book and where each animal live in different continents.

Thank you Sourcebooks Kids for the opportunity to read and review.

[Donna Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This engaging little science book for early readers is a gem. My thanks go to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the review copy. This book will be available to the public April 2, 2024.

The title is the content in a nutshell. One page has a large, sometimes whole page photograph, but we don’t know what animal it belongs to, or what end we’re looking at. These are cleverly chosen and stumped me about half the time. When I set it down, my spouse picked it up, began leafing through it, and I heard him say, “What? You’re kidding!”

There is no real story here. You open the book, and you leap right in. Picture, then the solution, right down the line. Whereas I like a bit of scaffolding and accompanying narrative myself, I also know that there are children that will prefer this book exactly the way that it’s written. Children in early elementary school that are in the stage of development in which they find potty jokes gut-bustingly funny will absolutely adore it.

I was previously unfamiliar with Lavelle’s work, and hadn’t seen the first in the series, but after perusing this one, I knew my grandsons had to have it, and since this one won’t be out till spring, I bought the first volume of Butt or Face for the second grader’s Christmas gift. That’s a strong endorsement.

[*ੈ✩‧₊˚Sassy Little Hippy˚₊‧✩ ੈ* · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️
Fun for the whole family.

My 9YO and I had a blast tossing out our guesses of face or butt to see who was right, and we really enjoyed the interesting information about the animals and the location mapping at the end. I definitely learned some things.

🐒 Great images, great facts, and cute puns. Definitely gift-worthy!

Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and Kari Lavelle for providing me with a complimentary ARC to review!

[Rachel Nahabedian · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

This was such a cute read! I even got a few of them incorrect. The facts about the animals were interesting and taught me stuff.

The added bonus at the end of the where they lay their butts and what they put in their face was an added bonus of fun along with the map showing where all the animals are from.

Bonus points for having my favorite Axolotl in the book!

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the first Butt or Face? book, the kids wanted more, and I just happened to have Butt or Face? #2: Revenge of the Butts. This book followed the same format as the first, with 13 closeups of either a butt or a face of an animal and we had to guess which it was. The answer given on the next page along with some basic information and interesting facts. This time, there were a few familiar animals, and I think my grandchildren liked that they recognized a few of them. Many of the animals were weird looking to the kids and they examined the illustrations and kept turning the page back to look again and find which part of the animal the close up had been from. The animals come from all over the world and from different species. The end of the book has a map showing where the featured animals are found, as well as a chart telling where they rest their butts (location) and what goes in their faces (what they eat). We had fun with this one and I definitely recommend it for public libraries, schools and classrooms. As a retired teacher and teacher/librarian, I know how much little boys like books with "Butt" in the title and I think these would be fun books for those reluctant readers in a class.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an animal loving person who loves to learn new things, I found this book to be both fascinating and enjoyable. Using photographs that highlight only certain parts of animals, the author then invites readers to guess whether the part being shown comes from the animals face or butt. The reverse side of the page shows the whole photograph and provides not only the answer to the face or butt question, but gives additional information about the highlighted feature. Sidebars provide additional facts about the selected animal. I appreciated the fact that the animals chosen are some of the animal worlds most unusual members which makes guessing the answer quite challenging for children or adults. While some of the animals would normally be easy to recognize, the careful choosing of the photographs adds to the challenge. In addition to being a lot of fun, the book would also be great for using in a classroom while teaching media literacy and how the careful editing of the photograph determines how much information the reader receives, which makes it very easy to be wrong, even when you think you are right. A fun, informative book, great for use at home or at school; expect lots of comments if you use during story time.

[Jamie Loves Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

Keep these books coming! We absolutely loved the first one and volume 2 is just as great. They are huge hits in our house and I'll be buying a copy as soon as this one of our too.

Just like the first book, it starts with a zoomed in picture of a butt or a face of an animal/insect and you guess is it a butt or a face. Then after you turn the page it shows a picture of the entire animal/insect with lots of interesting facts about them. It is fantastic and some will shock you haha. You'd think this wouldn't hand reread value but my kids absolutely love it and regularly read the first book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire Kids for this advanced reader copy. This review is voluntarily my own.

[Candy Wellins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you discovered the Butt or Face series by @karilavellewrites yet? My 5yo can’t get enough of them. Each book contains up close photos of a wide variety of animals and challenges readers to decide if they’re looking at a butt or face. For the record, it’s harder than it sounds I love that they introduce readers to new animals and the backmatter is A++. Definitely check out the original and the newly published REVENGE OF THE BUTTS.

[Jilanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book for learning about different animals, some highly unusual, others more well known. Some images are easier to guess than others, but all require the powers of observation, looking closely to decide. My favorite in this group is the alien butt spider! Who knew? Now we all do! A terrific STEM book that will be immensely popular with the elementary school crowd.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This non-fiction picture book about animals cleverly engages with kids by making kids guess if a photo is showing them the butt or face of an animal. On the next page, there's the response along with a few factual tidbits about the animal. The author also uses some puns for humor.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mt 5 year olds giggled and loved it, and I have a feeling my 10 and 11 year old 5th graders would too. 😅

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laughed at myself and how bad I was at guessing these!

[Jane]

Another fun read from Kari!

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The laugh-out-loud second volume in the Butt or Face series. What is a butt? What is a face? So fun!


Back in 2023 I read the first book thanks to an ARC on Netgalley (check my review here). I really had a great time reading it and was hoping for more books in the series! And then I kinda forgot it existed (oops) but last year I suddenly came across an ARC for the 4th book (sadly didn’t get approved this time). I decided to put the books on my TBR so I could buy them when I had the chance. And so back in February I got the second book and had a lot of fun reading!

They really stepped up their game. Whereas with the previous one I had quite a lot of good guesses this one had my head scratching. Some really looked like butts! Some really looked like faces! Others I was hoping it was neither because dang. XD Let me explain how it works. You get a close up of an animal and you have to guess whether that is its butt or face. Which is totally fun and I know kids will absolutely love it. Some of the animals are easy to figure out, but some will require some thinking. After you have done your guessing you can flip the page and get a fun page full of facts and information on the animal. From a mammal that eats 100+ different fruits to how a certain animal licks its eyeballs because it has no eyelids! I really had fun reading those facts, some I knew but I also learned a few new ones. And that always makes me happy!

I really loved the abundance of animal photographs + the fun way the book was formatted!

I would recommend this one to everyone in need for a fun book with interactive elements + lots of facts.

Review first posted on https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great prediction book for fun and knowledge. Love all of the information especially the facts at the back and challenge. Love this idea and all of the rare animals.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book. Just like its predecessor, this book continues with the question: “Can you tell which end you’re looking at?” Animals have evolved throughout the years and it’s no surprise that animals use their bodies so that they can survive in their environments. Author Kari Lavelle presents readers with a variety of pictures asking readers to decide whether they are looking at a close-up look at the butt or face of an animal. They are also asked what animal they think they are looking at. Turning the page, the reader is given the answer and a picture of the animal. The reader also gets some interesting information on that animal.

Most of these animals are not your typical animal, like a bear or an elephant. These animals are specific and unique. An Indian peacock, dugong, saiga antelope, or my favorite the spicebush swallowtail caterpillar. I enjoyed reading all the interesting information about each animal and I loved how they covered different parts of the globe. The different text fonts added a fun element to the book too. The vocabulary might be challenging for some younger readers, but it might also encourage younger readers also. Advance words: intimidating, dependent, bodacious, regenerate, bulgy, etc. I thought this was a great book and one that makes nonfiction learning fun. 5 stars

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction series remains one of my favorites for everyone from preschool to grade 6, and possibly much higher since caregivers, teachers, librarians, parents all tend to enjoy reading them with their kids and often learn a great deal themselves.

As with other volumes in the Butt or Face? series, Lavelle presents an intriguing photo of a portion of an animal and poses the title question. The following page will identify whether it was a butt or face shot, provide a photograph of the entire creature as well as text boxes/side bars with intriguing bits of information about habitat, adaptations, diet, etc. Each page demonstrates careful thought in the placement of each photo and info panel and will keep readers and listeners interested and learning.

Each and every installment of this series should be in all school and public library collections. Home libraries may want to be a bit more judicious as some children might need more variety in the format of their non-fiction but parents should also consider a volume from this provocatively titled series for birthday gifts. They are sure to have all party attendees flipping pages and laughing while they learn!

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has quickly became one of my favorite books. EVER! I read to people with dementia at specialized nursing homes, and some days it's harder than others for them to understand what I read. Luckily, everyone knows what a butt is! It's so much fun showing them these pictures and having them guess if its a butt or a face! It doesn't involve any prior knowledge or scientific background, and the page displaying the picture of the butt/face always asks the reader if it's a butt or a face, so the reader always knows the question. Great repetition! The next page reveals what you have been looking at... along with some cool facts about the creature! This book is great at keeping listeners/readers engaged, and leaving you with enough knowledge you can wow a room full of adults or children. These aren't your every day animals either, some of these critters I have never heard of before and am much happier knowing they exist.

10/10 would recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humor or interest in animals regardless of age :)

[Owlet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Kari Lavelle returns with a second round of her butt or face guessing game in BUTT OR FACE? REVENGE OF THE BUTTS.

This nonfiction picture book highlights the adaptations that help more than a dozen animals survive in their habitats. You will learn about animals that regenerate body parts, change their body colors, and use their butt as a pillow. Plus, there is an adorable spider the size of a No. 2 pencil eraser that builds a burrito-shaped home.

Back matter includes additional information about the animals in the book and an author’s note explaining the inspiration behind the book.

Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pages: 40
Age Range: 4-8

Want to support the writer, photographers, and many others who brought this book to life? Borrow and/or buy the book, ask your local bookstore/library to purchase copies, and share your review of the book online and with friends.

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

There already was one Butt or Face? book. Some time ago. It was awesome. Trust me when I say so, it was the best. It was hilarious and it made kids want to learn more about animals and all sorts of animal facts, yes, and it made some obsessed with butts and googly eyes, and often with both of those things at the same time. And now, turns out, there is another Butt or Face book? Of course, I had to see it, and now all I have to say is that this book is equally awesome! It too is hilarious and cute at the same time, and – there is also a tiny easter egg inside, that’s just… not a butt, not a face, but it will spark all sorts of curious questions!
The world needs way more books like this one!

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A second success for this series, that gives you a close-up of a critter and demands you say whether it's the butt or face – as the title kind of taught you anyway, I know. But the book then gives you some details about whichever animal we're looking at, and also nudges us towards thinking about evolution and how and why these weird-looking adaptations might have occurred. So it's nowhere near as daft a concept as you might have thought. I don't know how much scope there is for further titles, given the strange creatures we've met so far across two books, but even if the wacky details are closing to running out it's a strong four stars for now.

[The Loco Librarian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kari Lavelle has done it again! With her ingenious idea of creating a nonfiction read aloud that has readers guess if the image they are seeing is an animals butt or face—students will be engaged to learning fun facts about animals while laughing their butts off! Highly recommend for those who love facts and love to laugh! The book has one page with an imagine for guessing—butt or face—then the following page gives an explanation of the animal and what we are seeing. It gives information about many animals I haven’t heard of or know very little abour. Such a creative idea that will grab any readers’ attention.

[Jessica Kulekjian · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s so fun to see a sequel of this highly engaging, informative, and entertaining picture book. Like the original, book number two gives readers a sneak peek to partial views of animals and the reader must decide “Is it a butt or face?” before they turn the page to see the zoomed-out picture and see if their guess was right. In addition, there is informational text that is categorized as “face the facts” or go “beyond the backside” which teaches some cool information about the animal in question. The backmatter offers a map of where the animals “Rest their butts” and lists the foods that, “Goes in their face.” What a creative and clever book!

[Fahula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun nonfiction picture book. It’s puns and other amusing word play help to engage readers who will enjoy guessing whether the photo shown depicts a face or a butt, and from which animal. It is a good choice for teaching students about the use of nonfiction features, including alliteration and comparisons. Fact boxes filled with interesting and, sometimes, icky tidbits are included for each animal. I was surprised to see spacing errors in the copy I read from. can be used as a yea CB ing lesson , I guess. Fun to guess if it is a butt or face and what type of animal it is from. The last pages include a map and chart listing where each creature lives and what it eats.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Sourcebooks Explore and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting this review, I had a bit too much going on.

Volume 1 of this series was a big hit with the kids I read with, so we were excited to get a look at Volume 2 - and it did not disappoint. Yes, it's more of the same, but it's so well done, with guessing "butt or face" and then finding out more about the animal behind the initial photo. Several of the animals sent us down a rabbit hole, which I see as a good thing to learn more about the world around us. Highly recommend!

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you read the first volume of BUTT OR FACE? This is the second volume and is equally likely to have kids squealing with laughter. To me, this is perfect nonfiction. Kari Lavelle clearly understands her audience. Elementary schoolers will find this hilarious but will also learn a ton about the different animals featured. The text is intelligently laid out that you can read as much or little as you want. For larger groups, you can stick to the guessing game and brief text about each animal. For reading one on one or kids who want to learn more, there are extra text boxes about each animal and more information in the backmatter. Clever, engaging and informational nonfiction.

[Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kari Lavelle has done it again. First off, the title Revenge of the Butts is absolutely hilarious! Secondly we had so much fun guessing if we were looking at a Butt or a Face. We learned about animals that we’d never heard of before and learned new things about animals we had heard of before. This is a great book, especially for animal lovers. We look forward to more informational books from Kari in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Kids for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication.

[Jill Hartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I want to love this book. My 9 year old daughter that is enthralled with all things animal thought it was adorable. Some of the animals in that book we have never heard of so it is always interesting to learn about new things! The facts were interesting and things people would have never thought of. Would I check this book out of the library for a fun read for my daughter? Absolutely. Would I purchase it for gifts to read over and over? Not sure if I would do that but the concept behind finding a way to learn during a fun read is great!

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes it takes a little spin to get a kid reading. Like the "What if you had animal eyes" series, the Butt or Face books encourage kids to use their imaginations while teaching them about unfamiliar animals. Anyone can enjoy the guessing, and the accompanying answers and animal facts are educational and interesting. The pictures of the animals are displayed in a compelling way, around colorful text and pull-outs.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I'll look into the first volume and purchase this one for my library.