Splat is thrilled to be able to go to the zoo with his class on a field trip to see the penguins. He thinks penguins are some of the best animals, and can’t wait to see them himself. Seymour can’t come because mice scare the elephants, but Seymour does his best to get to the zoo himself anyway when Splat leaves him to go to school. Finally, after waiting for a long time and having to go see lots of other animals first, Splat is on his way to see the penguins when Seymour crashes out of the air on a paper airplane, scares the elephant, and the elephant breaks the pool where the penguins live. Splat is disappointed, but Seymour won’t let Splat go home without giving him the opportunity to see his favorite animal. It’s Penguin Day for Splat after all!

Splat and the Cool School Trip follows the same pattern as the other Splat the Cat books, setting up Splat for something exciting, something disappointing happens, and then somehow getting what he wanted in a different way. Parents and teachers can talk about how sometimes things we want come in different ways than we might think, but sometimes, unlike Splat, things might not work out after all. Young children will also have the opportunity to identify some animals while reading this book, and older readers can spot the cause and effect things that will lead to later events in the book. Splat the Cat fans will continue to enjoy his mishaps and adventures in this fun field trip book. ( )

Splat loves penguins and was looking forward to seeing them at the zoo on their school visit. However, Seymour goes and scares the elephants and the school visit to the zoo ends without seeing the penguins.

This book is about a young cat who goes on a field trip with his class, but his mouse friend can't come because elephants are afraid of mice. The mouse comes up with a plan to go to the school anyways, and scares the elephant. The elephant destroyed the penguin exhibit, which keeps splat from seeing his favorite animal. The mouse then comes up with a plan for splat to see the penguins. This is a good book for teaching problem solving and coming up with ideas (prewriting). ( )

We are currently in a "cat" phase right now... so Splat! is obviously a cat.

Splat and his friend Seymour, a mouse, are excited - they are going to go to the zoo for a school field trip! But both become disappointed - Seymour, when Splat tells him he cannot go, and Splat, when his favorite animals' exhibit is closed due to a rampaging elephant (gee, who did that?). Splat had been looking forward to seeing the penguins! Now, there are no penguins.

Seymour finds a way to save the day, though. My two-year-old loved pointing out and identifying the animals, and is working on simple words. This book is full of bright illustrations and sneaky little hints for older readers (like the books that Seymour starts to read, encouraging cause-and-effect thinking). A very good book, and I look forward to reading more in the series - my daughter just looks forward to more cats. ( )

This was a Buckeye Award Nominee (2015). ( )