Creating Sand Beaches with Poop

April 1, 2018

Gr 3-5-The titles alone will attract readers who enjoy gross-out topics, and the cover design uses brown drippy lettering for the word poop to increase the yuck factor. This series covers everything from feces as construction material to its use in beauty treatments. While the topics may seem lighthearted, there is plenty of science here. Issues such as the need for renewable energy sources and biodegradable building materials underscore the logic of treating poop as a natural resource. Photos show fossilized scat, biomass production sites, and close-ups of bacteria and viruses present in waste. Uses by animals and humans around the world, both past and present, show the versatility of poop for defense against predators, home insulation, and even creating biological weapons. VERDICT Perfect for reaching reluctant science readers and an eye-catching addition to collections where patrons are begging for more variety.

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2018
Grades 2-4 This informative entry in the rousingly titled Power of Poop series (6 titles) focuses on the parrotfish?a reef denizen that chews chunks of coral to extract algae and, according to the author, excretes as a byproduct most of the white sand that makes up the world's tropical and semitropical beaches. Along with describing the process in detail (there's even a photo), she offers an overview of parrotfish reproduction and other behavior, as well as a general picture of coral reef ecosystems. Generous deposits of boxed Fun Facts ( One name native Hawaiians have for parrotfish translates into ?loose bowels' ) and close-up photos of colorful reef residents enhance the presentation. Readers straining to learn more (about reefs, anyway) will find useful leads to print and web resources at the rear.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)