Poop: A Natural History of the Unmentionable (BCCB Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)) - Hardcover

Davies, Nicola

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763624373 ISBN 13: 9780763624378

Publisher: Candlewick, 2004

Synopsis

A noted zoologist teams up with a playful illustrator to present a fun, fact-filled guide to the fascinating (if not fragrant) world of poop across species.

Hippos navigate by it, sloths keep in touch through it, dung beetles eat it . . . and most grownups would rather not to mention it. Meanwhile, scientists who study animal feces find out all sorts of things, such as how many insects a bat eats or just what technique a T. rex used to devour a triceratops 70 million years ago. However you look at it, poop is the quintessential prototype for recycling and probably the most useful stuff on earth. Take a peek at POOP and find out all you need to know — what it's for, where it goes, and how much we can learn from it.

About this title

About the Author

Nicola Davies graduated with a degree in zoology before becoming a writer, producer, and presenter of radio and television programs. Her award-winning books for children include BIG BLUE WHALE, ONE TINY TURTLE, SURPRISING SHARKS, and BAT LOVES THE NIGHT. She says, "As a zoologist, you are never far from poop! I've baked goose poop in an oven with my dinner, looked at bat poop under the microscope, and had my T-shirt stained pink with blue-whale poop. I was obviously fated to write this book." Nicola Davies lives in Somerset, England.

Neal Layton has illustrated many well-received picture books, including THE SUNDAY BLUES, which he also wrote. About this project, he says, "I used pencils, paint, pens, ink, pieces of collage, photocopiers, a computer, bits of stick, an old toothbrush, dough, a cake-icing bag, and a camera to make the illustrations for POOP. I had so much fun and learned lots, too!" Neal Layton lives in Portsmouth, England.

Reviews

Grade 3-5–Davies offers a discussion of why animals defecate, how feces are made and what is in them, and where they can be found. While this may be more information than an average adult cares to know on the subject, the topic is sure to attract curious youngsters. The word "unmentionable" in the subtitle is a misnomer, because the vocabulary is extensive and includes such terms as "coprophage," which is a poop eater. Some words are not listed in the short glossary or index. Clever chapter titles such as "Sloppy or Ploppy" are sure to bring a smile to many faces. The stylized, primitive pen-and-ink cartoons are digitally colored in an earth-tone palette. Childlike lettering appears atop the illustrations, in dialogue balloons, upside down, and sideways with scratched out marks. The book concludes with "Poop Facts" from the biggest to the weirdest. For nonfiction readers who have difficulty finding something of interest to read, this book is sure to catch their attention.–Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gr. 2-5. Children who have been introduced to the concept that everybody poops by the book of the same name can now do a text analysis of the topic in a volume that explores the stuff by color, usefulness, and size. Thankfully sticking mostly to animals, Davies begins with "a tour of poop" that illustrates the wide variety of feces. (Again, thankfully, this is done with illustrations, not photographs.) She then goes on to discuss how it's produced, what animals do with it (use it to identify other animals, track prey, consume it for nourishment), and what humans occasionally do with animal feces (build houses with it, use it for fuel). The very informative text uses humor but mostly plays it straight. The clever ink-and-watercolor cartoons go for big laughs, illustrating such things as why sheep release hard, dry pellets, while cows, well . . . don't. There are several pictures about animals eating their (and other animals') feces, but the picture with the baby elephant in his high chair--well, suffice it to say kids will love that one. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0763624373
• ISBN 13: 9780763624378
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Layton Neal
• Number of pages: 64