OOO...POO!

A pair of friends embark on a lesson in all things poo.

Bespectacled Fox points to a pile of poop; Rabbit inadvertently steps in it. “Whose poo?” A page turn reveals that this was “doggy DOO.” Inside, the friends observe a litter box. “Whose poo?” “Kitty POOP. Please scoop.” The pals encounter mouse pellets, elephant dung, seabird guano, whale feces, goose droppings, deer stool, bear scat, pig manure, and (who knew?) otter spraint. All the animals are pictured in the act of nonchalantly producing their specialty. Finally we reach a bathroom and move from “Ew! Baby poo” (an adult disposes of a smelly diaper) through “Yahoo! Potty poo” (a toddler sits on a small potty) to “Ooo …Toilet poo. People poo” (Rabbit and Fox hand toilet paper to an adult on a toilet). A clear, simplified double-page spread shows what happens after the poop is flushed away: Sludge goes to farms, while water, with germs filtered out, goes to rivers. We also learn that poop (from birds) spreads seeds, feeds plants, and more. Finally: What exactly IS poo? The last pages add a half-dozen fascinating facts for older readers and include all the terms for excretion encountered earlier. The information is illuminating and matter-of-factly conveyed. Beautiful layout and clever, colorful collages, more Leo Lionni than Eric Carle, depict diverse humans and make turning the pages an adventure.

A perennially fascinating subject, handled honestly but without disgust.