A Natural History of the Unmentionable
by Nicola Davies
illustrated by Neal Layton
Reviewed January 10, 2005.
Candlewick Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2004. 61 pages.
Available at Sembach Library (J 573.49 DAV).
It’s hard to imagine a kid resisting reading this book. Even my teenage son picked it up when he found it lying around the house. And, okay, I was a little slower than usual when I processed this book,since I found myself reading parts of it.
This book gives you the scoop on poop. (Sorry.) It talks about the different forms and colors poop can take. It tells how poopcan be used for food, fuel, and building material. Poop delivers messages, spreads seeds, and recycles nutrients. Scientists even learn about animals dead and alive by studying poop.
There’s plenty of science in this book. Kids will learn all sorts of pungent facts while enjoying being grossed out. I must, however, give one warning: Don’t let them read aloud from this book whileyou are trying to eat!