After choosing  all year, I’ve handed the choice of theme for Friday Library Recommendations to classes, and this week Reception have chosen… poo! Here are some fabulously funny picture books and brilliantly informative non-fiction linking to their theme.

Poo In The Zoo by Steve Smallman, illustrated by Ada Grey

Zoo Keeper Bob is exhausted. There’s too much poo in the zoo – and he’s the one who has to scoop it up. Then one day, a mysterious glowing poo appears! Could it be alien poop from outer space? And what on EARTH will Bob do with it?

Perfect for fans of The Dinosaur who Pooped Christmas, children will laugh out loud at this gloriously poopy, funny picture book! Packed with humour, the romping rhyme and deliciously cheeky wordplay is a joy to read aloud.

Who Flung Dung? by Ben Redlich

It’s a pleasant day for Furley the monkey until someone flings dung at him! Nobody is around to confess, so Furley goes on an investigation. “Who flung dung?!” Furley demands of Elephant and Rhinoceros. They deny everything, offended that Furley would think them capable of dung-flinging. Python and Crocodile didn’t fling the dung, and neither did Lion or Vulture! So who was it? As Furley becomes more and more frustrated, readers will giggle more and more loudly. But even though he’s frustrated, Furley’s not going to give up. He’s on a mission to find that dung-flinging culprit!

Even parents will delight in the quirky scatological humor of Ben Redlich’s Who Flung Dung? Redlich’s silly, sparse illustrations complement the story beautifully; both parents and children are sure to love the outraged faces of the animals accused of dung-flinging.

The Clue Is In The Poo by Andy Seed, illustrated by Clare Almon

Wild creatures leave a trail of clues wherever they go. Be a fearless nature detective and discover the curious clues of the wild.

A fascinating and funny guide to animals and their poo, and all the other tracks and traces they leave behind. You will be amazed (and perhaps a little revolted!) by the things that can be learned about wildlife from their deposits. Become a detective, find clues and learn all about animals from what they leave behind.

From faeces to footprints, skins to shells and eggs, discover all there is to know about wild animals – even those that are particularly dangerous to track like tigers and wolves! Whether you’re an armchair enthusiast or a forest forager, one thing’s for sure: this fully illustrated compendium of poops, pellets and prints is not to be sniffed at!

A Day In The Life Of Poo, A Gnu, And You by Mike Barfield, illustrated by Jess Bradley

If you’ve ever wanted to know what a panda does all day long, how your heart manages to shift all that blood around your body or what makes a rainbow shine, you’ve come to the right book, winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2021!

A Day in the Life of a Poo, a Gnu and You features the answers to all of these questions and many more, all told in a super-fun comic book format in three awesome sections: Human Body, Animal Kingdom and Earth and Science. A Day in the Life… is packed with facts, laughs and amazing illustrations you can dive into all day long.

Meet your grumpy liver that has to do practically EVERYTHING; your trusty hands that are very, well, handy; the spiky porcupines ready to charge; lonely Mars rovers abandoned on the Red Planet; raging tornadoes ready to rip through the pages of the book and bubbly volcanoes ready to blow.

All entries are told in the fun, friendly and informative style of Mike Barfield, and are brought to life by the colour-explosion of Jess Bradley’s awesome illustrations.

I wonder what topic Year 1 will choose next…

Happy reading!