Something's Wrong by Jory John illustrated by Erin Kraan

Subtitle: A Bear, a Hare and Some Underwear

On the title page we see Bear waking up to the sound of his alarm clock. He feels that something is wrong.

"Let's see ... I ate my breakfast. I wrote in my journal. I watered my plant. I took my bath. I tried on the gift from grandma. And I combed my fur. Hmmm. So why do I still feel like I'm forgetting something?"

The delight here is that readers, and the other forest animals, can see the problem even though Bear cannot. Yes, Bear still has on his underpants. But no one seems able to tell Bear the truth. That is until Bear meets Jeff. 

"Oh boy. Should I tell him? Yes? You really think he can handle it? Why am I even asking you? Who are you? All right. Welp. Here we go ... ' Deep Breath."

Jeff is the best of friends. He turns a potentially terrible and utterly embarrassing situation into something affirming and warm-hearted. 

The book is also a clever primer on handling embarrassment and how it can sometimes be dealt with by simply changing the perspective of what’s happening. This underwear affair is wise, witty, and just brief enough. Kirkus Star review

This book is so funny. Your library group or young reading companion will be rolling around on the floor with laughter BUT sadly here in Australia this book is priced way beyond any library or home book shelf at over AUS$45. My hardcover copy was published in 2021 - perhaps a paperback edition will be produced. I do hope so. See inside on the illustrator web page. 

Publisher blurb: Jeff the bear has definitely forgotten something. He ate his breakfast, he watered his plant, he combed his fur . . . what could it be? Why does he feel so oddly off? So he asks his friend Anders the rabbit what could possibly be wrong. It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that he's wearing underwear . . . over his fur . . . could it? Another read-out-loud, laugh-out-loud picture book from bestselling and beloved author Jory John, paired with rising star illustrator Erin Balzer, about that horrible nagging feeling that it just might not be your day—but you know you have a friend to support you no matter what.

You can see other terrific books by Jory John on his web page. Here is the stand-alone companion book:

Anders does not seem like himself. He and his friend Jeff are headed out for a picnic, but no matter how much Anders insists that he’s feeling just fine, Jeff gets the sense that his best friend isn’t being totally honest. Should he check in on Anders, or give him space? Should he help him out, or just be by his side? How can he be a good friend if he doesn’t know what his friend might need?

My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything has a blog post about Underwear Day and this one too. And here is her Pinterest - what a fun mini theme for your Preschool or Kindergarten group. Here's a sample of her collection.

A Brief History of Underpants by Christine van Zandt illustrated by Harry Briggs

Yes - this a book about underwear. It will amaze you. It might shock you. It most certainly will give you a laugh. There are four chapters - Crusty old buns; Underpants around the world; Cheeky inventions; and Tushes today worldwide. See what I mean - even the chapter headings are funny and a little bit naughty.

Can you see the little wheel on the side of this cover. Readers are invited to spin the wheel to see different types of, gasp, underwear!

Sure there are tons of facts in this book but at its heart this is just a book to enjoy for fun. 

What is it about underpants that cracks us up?

How long has underwear been under there?

What's behind today's styles?

Who started the hole thing?

Publisher Blurb: A Brief History of Underpants explores the history of underwear with zany facts and illustrations. The cover features an interactive reveal wheel that turns to show underwear through the ages.  From bloomers to boxers, everyone wears underwear! One part humor, one part history, A Brief History of Underpants explores the evolution of fashions most unmentionable garment. Gain a whole new understanding of underthings as you:

• Learn which ruler was buried with over 100 pairs of underwear.

• Discover how people kept their underclothes from falling off before elastic was invented.

• Find out why some underwear was made from feathers.

• And much, much more!

Zany illustrations add to the humour, and step-by-step instructions teach real dyeing and washing techniques used hundreds of years ago. Interact with the topic directly by turning the reveal wheel on the front cover to see underwear evolve through the ages.

Full of puns and cheeky asides, Christine Van Zandt’s A Brief History of Underpants uncovers fascinating facts about these garments we take for granted while also revealing tidbits of historical, cultural, and societal traditions from earliest times to the present. Van Zandt’s breezy writing, punctuated by lots of “ewww”-inspiring descriptions, will keep kids laughing and learning and even the most reluctant reader riveted to the pages. Celebrate Picture Books

Here is a chapter by chapter set of discussion questions to use with this book. 

I do have a Pinterest collection of other books related to another aspect of this topic - "Fun stuff that comes from our bodies". Take a look at this post by my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything where she talks about, of all the most crazy things, National Underwear Day. 

Here are a few more books about Underwear:

Polar Bear's Underwear

Polar Bear's Underwear by Tupera Tupera

Polar Bear has lost is underwear. His friend Mouse offers to help. The search begins. The pair do find some amazing underwear but none of it seems quite right for Bear. Each owner is revealed via different die-cut pages where we see sneak peaks of colourful, large, frilly and even teeny tiny underwear.

I am currently searching for and reading books translated into English from around the world. I won't feature this book in my presentation because it was published in 2015 and may be difficult to obtain and also this book is for the youngest child which is slightly outside the scope of my presentation but I wanted to share this book with you here because it is just a delight. I would love to put this book into the hands of a young child aged 2 or 3 and sit back and enjoy their laughter. My library copy of this book was covered in plastic but I think those red undies on the cover might actually come off! When first published in 2012 this book had the title Shirokuma no pants. Preschools might like to investigate this cute flannel board resource which you could use with this book.

Tatsuya Kameyama and Atsuko Nakagawa have been working together as Tupera Tupera since 2002, and are known for their original, humorous, and colourful picture books and illustrations.

Here are two of their new quirky and distinctive books which are due for publication in 2021: