Sploot: Two Squirrels, One Mission: Stay Cool!

by SaDonna Heathman, Brooke Sperry (Illustrator)

What’s better than two silly squirrels causing chaos on the farm? Splooting, of course!

With the sun blazing down, these two will try anything to beat the heat—even if it means getting a little messy! From one silly sploot to the next, they won’t stop until they find the perfect spot to cool off.

Packed with big laughs and a splash of science, Sploot shows kids the hilarious way squirrels stay cool on hot days—and what to do if you spot a splooting squirrel.

Get ready to laugh, learn, and sploot your way through this fun-filled farmyard adventure!

Genres: Childrens

39 pages, Paperback

Published July 10, 2025

Reviews

[Debra Gaynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sploot: Two Squirrels, One Mission: Stay Cool!
SaDonna Heathman, Brooke Sperry (Illustrator)
It’s a hot summer and two squirrels are looking for a place to splott. Four legged animals, usually dogs or squirrels, sploot: they lay down on their tummy spread eagle to cool off.
The sun is shining down on the farm. Two squirrels are trying to find a way to cool off. They begin with a tree branch but its hard to properly sploot in a tree; one of the squirrels fell out. They tried lying in the chicken’s food, but they didn’t work well either. They even tried laying in the mud in the pig pen. The bird bath would have been a great place but there was no water. They tried near the dog and then the horses. The farmer was shearing the sheep; the fleece looked like a good place, but it didn’t work. They needed a shady spot. They found it; they began arguing over the place until they decided to share.
What a delightful tale. I had never heard the word sploot and was eager to learn what it meant. The focus of this book is 1st and 2nd graders. The illustrations are outstanding. The colors are bold and bright. The squirrels are cute as are the other animals. This book opens the dialogue on sharing. There are not a lot of words, but they all compliment the illustrations. This tale is filled with fun. Your child will be laughing as they learn about splooting.

[Joey Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Victory Publishing / Gallop Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Two squirrels are enjoying playing tag and then suddenly the heat becomes too much for them. They suddenly sploot, but splooting can be difficult in such heat, trying to find the perfect spot is a very difficult game.

This was really cute, I loved the big illustrations showing the squirrels playing and splooting, seeing all the different places that they tried. I also really enjoyed seeing the other animals, the setting itself and the people on the farm they were on.

The story was sweet and incredibly simple, perfect for a really young audience to enjoy. There is a lot that they’ll enjoy from the story also it’s very entertains and funny too. The illustrations were wonderful seeing the squirrels splooting everywhere they possibly can.

I loved the addition of extra information provided at the end of the story. It helps readers learn more about what splooting is and why squirrels do it, it also shares what other animals do it too. This was a really fun and entertains book that I certainly think young readers will enjoy, it’s amusing and adorable at the same time.

[Christine Gustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw this book and immediately knew that I had to read it! We recently learned about “splooting” when one of our neighborhood squirrels appeared to be dead in our yard. One Google search led to the next and we spent the better part of an hour learning about splooting!

This book is a very simple and cute picture book geared towards young children. It would be the perfect gift for any littles that love watching squirrels! 🐿️

Age recommendation: young children and toddlers. Zero content warnings.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this cute book!

[Stephanie Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adorable book. I live in the south, where we have summer eight months out of the year, so I tend to see a lot of squirrels splooting in the trees in our backyard when it's hot outside. I can't say I blame them one bit. I would do it if I could. LOL. The illustrations in this book are cute and colorful and would definitely hold a little one's attention. My grandchildren would love it. Recommended.

(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own).

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sploot really does sound like a silly book—because what on earth does “sploot” even mean? Luckily, this book explains it. The first part is a playful little story about two squirrels on a hot, hot day, while the later pages turn informative, sharing fun facts about the possible origins of the word sploot and what other animals do it too. Since squirrels live almost everywhere, kids all around the world could enjoy this book. Chances are, most of us have seen a squirrel splooting without knowing what it was called—and now we do!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable and informative book about squirrels and how they handle hot weather. Two squirrels are very hot, so they "sploot" in different places. As the end of the book explains, splooting is when squirrels lay down on their bellies with their legs splayed out in an attempt to lower their body temperature. These squirrels have quite an adventure trying to find the perfect place to sploot and cool off. The illustrations are adorable.

[Laurel Zeisler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title was catchy, but then I was kind of lost. I took the "stay cool" in the title to mean have a cool attitude.
First, I thought "sploot" meant pass gas. Then I thought it meant to scurry. The end pages with the explanations helped a lot. It should probably be read twice. The illustrations were fun.

[Mckenna Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Victory Publishing, Gallop Books and, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this adorable and informative book!

Is there anything more adorable than an animal “sploot”? This book follows two squirrels as they quest for a cooler environment. This was a fun story to show kids how animals seek to cool down. I can’t wait to share this with my kids and their friends!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Gallop Books for the advanced copy in exchange for a review.
As a fan of animals that sploot, I thought this book was pretty adorable. It's a quick, easy read and I'd suggest it for children as young as two. I also loved that the artwork was original and seems to be hand drawn, which is a great incentive to check it out.

[Dark Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute little book! "Sploot" is what happens when an animal spreads out with their belly on the ground - and these guys do just that! It's a short book with cute illustrations, and my 6-year-old thought it was very funny.

[Amethyst Maxey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC. I have never heard of this term, Sploot. I was very confused what it meant until the end when the book defined it. It was a short and simple little story. My son loved it when I kept making funny noises when I said sploot. The illustrations were great.

[Chelsea Hamilton-Viele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for sharing this with me! The illustrations are beautiful, the story is easy to follow, and will definitely captivate its intended audience! There’s a really neat couple of pages at the end with pictures of real life squirrels explaining why they do this quirky thing!