Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 12/01/2016 PreS-Gr 2—Giggles, gasps, and guffaws will surely follow when a book about poop is discovered on the library shelf. A wide variety of poo is tackled, from elephants' to pandas', all accompanied by the question, "Whose poop is that?" Readers are urged to study the pen-and-ink drawings with computerized coloration to guess which animal the droppings come from. Clues come in the form of bits of identifiable food. For instance, the panda's droppings contain bamboo splinters. The soft illustrations enhance the featured food fibers, and the text departs from the routine with a spread on the fossilized poop of an extinct ground sloth and one that asks, "Is that a poop?" in reference to an owl pellet. Additional facts about poop and notable animal waste ("Wombat poop is square!") are provided in the end pages. Silly but educational, this selection gets readers to realize that much can be learned through observation when out on a nature walk. VERDICT Sure to appeal to curious youngsters. Recommended for collections that can't get enough titles on poop.—Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 01/01/2017 The can-you-guess format, so often put to engaging effect in science-focused picture books, works well here in an introductory brainteaser on animal droppings. Each bit of scat gets a four-page spread: the titular question, with animal tracks; the, ahem, main event, with a brief description (“It has bits of bone and a tuft of fur in it”); and a full-bleed spread with the animal and an explanation of how its poop came by its unique composition (“A red fox eats small mammals and birds. It crunches their bones and swallows their fur or feathers”). Though inconsistent scale and oversimplification of the footprints often put guessers at a disadvantage, pictures are sufficiently simplified and stylized to help viewers focus on the essentials. The succinct text, in slightly oversized sans serif font, makes this as accessible to newly independent readers as it is to younger listeners, and everyone with an interest in the unflushed will be intrigued by the back end matter (pun fully intended)-bullet-pointed “The Scoop on Poop” and “Animal Poop Facts.” EB - Copyright 2017 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 12/01/2016 This picture book delivers exactly what its title promises—an examination of excrement, which also reveals a little something about the animal that left it behind. An opening two-page spread pairs the question “Whose poop is that?” with an illustration and description of a particular dropping. This sample might contain twigs and stems, old leaves, or bones and fur, for example. Once readers turn the page, the answer is revealed, along with some facts about the poop or the animal’s diet. Whose poo is full of splinters? A panda’s, due to its constant bamboo munching. Oseid’s pen-and-ink illustrations are digitally colored, giving clear yet stylized renderings of the seven animals and droppings in question, including a coprolite (fossilized dung) and one trick poop (what is it really?!). A final spread gives bulleted “Scoop on Poop” and “Animal Poop Facts” lists for more detailed information. The kid-friendly illustrations and matter-of-fact tone make this title an informative, rather than a gross-out, pick, though that is certainly what will get kids reaching for the shelves. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.

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