At first, a story about a character entangled in a ball of green snot may seem cringe-worthy. But in the hands of Carolyn Beck and Ben Hodson, it’s the basis for an original, funny, gooey, and even heartwarming new picture book.

Richard Was a Picker is about a young boy’s passion for picking his nose, a habit that disgusts his neighbours and prompts derision from classmates. One day, Richard’s finger becomes lodged in his nasal cavity, and his entire body gets sucked up into his nose, turning him inside out and leaving him engulfed in his own boogers. As Richard attempts to escape his shroud of mucus, he unintentionally slimes everything – and everyone – in his path.

The book definitely achieves a high level of gross-out, but Richard doesn’t just pick for the sake of picking. He’s an artist, using his boogers to craft sculptures of everything from castles to submarines to entire towns. Sure, it may not be as sanitary as Play-Doh, but behind Richard’s nasty habit is a talent for self-expression.

The story itself, told through Beck’s ­imaginative poetry, is fast-paced and will have adult readers laughing along. Equally important, Hodson’s illustrations are brilliantly done. Kids will love how he splashes every page (including the cover) with enormous­ green boogers that actually draw readers in instead of repelling them.

To Richard’s peers, he’s merely a picker. To the reader, however, he’s a young artist shunned for his craft. Though his methods are eccentric and his means repulsive, and despite spending virtually the entire story covered in mucus, Richard comes out clean in the end.