Harper Collins Australia

December 2024

ISBN: 9781460766194
ISBN 10: 1460766199
Imprint: HarperCollins AU
RRP: $24.99

To finish off this year’s Picture Book month – ta dah!!! I’ve been waiting and waiting to share this one and I was really hoping that the notes I wrote for it would be already up in their published format [fingers crossed they might be before this goes live] Because not only is this the sneakiest but also the most humorous ‘information’ book you will share with your Smalls this year.

There’s a hullabaloo about elephant poo —
what can you do with that beasty brew?
A hundred kilos daily from you-know-where.
That’s the same body weight as a panda bear!

We all know that poo is not only part of life but helps give life in the way of fertilising and enriching the soil for growing things. But that’s not the end of it. Elephant poo has multiple uses and is a highly sought after product – well, ok by-product of elephants! – in demand for making paper and even coffee [yeah, I’m drawing the line there].

Dee White’s rollicking rhyming narrative non-fiction is superbly matched by Christopher Nielsen’s humorous cartoon-style illos. I loved this as soon as I saw it and I was so thrilled to write the teaching notes for it.

It’s been a big year for animal books for sure (and in some ways the poo factor as well!) but this one will encourage your kiddos to think outside the box about ways to help animals and conserve resources.

It’s information by stealth, a comment I personally relish, and what better way to make an impact with Smalls than by giving them something to giggle over, and making their learning memorable. I’ll be uploading the teaching notes as soon as the publisher gets them up on the site, but if you need them sooner to use with your kiddos- ping me. EDIT; yayy they landed!!! It’s a jumbo-sized 🐘💩🐘💩🐘rating from me!