YOUNG ADULTING

Review by Jocelyne Gregory

Title: Whose Poo?

Author: Daisy Bird

Illustrator: Marianna Coppo

Publisher: Tundra Books

Age Range: 3-7 years

Pages: 48

ISBN: 9780735267992

Categories: Children’s Picture Books, Children’s Books, Humour, Educational

A child yelling “Poo!” can spark terror in the hearts of parents and caregivers on long car rides, in grocery stores, and even at libraries. But if their young reader has read Whose Poo? parents might not need to be afraid.

Written by Daisy Bird and illustrated by Marianna Coppo, Whose Poo? follows a family of rats. Daddy Rat decides to take his two Rat children to the zoo, but on one condition: the two Rat children must not mention the word poo. This does not last, as the young Rats’ imaginations take hold and they begin to wonder what kind of poo astronauts, poodles, chefs, penguins, and reptiles do. Daddy Rat takes this opportunity to educate his young children, bringing them to the “Pookeeper” who works at the zoo to show what can be done with poo. As Daddy Rat and the “Pookeeper” explain, poo is used to help trees and flowers grow, and no matter from what or who, everybody’s poo looks like poo. With a surprise ending guaranteed to make readers laugh, Whose Poo? is a positive approach to teaching young readers about the mysterious world of poo.

Marianna Coppo’s illustrations creatively encapsulate the various sizes, colours, shapes, and designs of poo. Readers are greeted with poo covered in tattoos, sparkling pink poos, python-shaped poos, and leopard-spotted poos. Illustrated with gouache paints, each page is brightly-painted with people, animals, and everyday life to keep the reader entertained. The words and pictures complement each other, working together to showcase the curious world of poo.

Whose Poo? is a delightful excursion in excrement and will make adults groan and young readers cackle with laughter. Whose Poo? would be a great addition to homes and library collections for young children. And just remember, parents and caregivers: If there is no smell, there is no mess.

Jocelyne Gregory is a UBC MFA creative writing graduate and a graduate of SFU’s the Writer’s Studio. She’s an author and editor and has provided manuscript consultations with the Sechelt Public Library and the Writer’s Studio. A lifelong gamer and fan of comics, she lives on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada.