I have never written a children's book review, I've also never laughed so hard at a children's book.

Poo in the Zoo: The Great Poo Mystery: 2 (Poo in the Zoo, 2) Poo in the Zoo: The Great Poo Mystery: 2 (Poo in the Zoo, 2)

I was most fascinated by the end papers, which are illustrations of various kinds of poo in fancy jars, all labeled. Assuming it came from outer space, Bob puts the dazzling specimen on display and visitors flock to see it. Lastly, the book is great for younger children who are learning about bodily functions or even toddlers who are toilet training.

If you wanted to take this book further, children could use the rhyme and rhythm as an example to create their own piece. Additionally, you could look into all the animals and perhaps even explore some of the types of ‘poo’ that are mentioned in the book. I know when I was a little kid I would have 1) loved making an adult read those words aloud and 2) loved exploring all the intricate jars and names. I've been described as an 'Animal Artist', not I hasten to add because I'm wild and hairy but because I love to draw animals and especially like to give them human characteristics. Zoo keeper Bob McGrew loves his animals, but his least favourite job is scooping up their poo, which comes in all shapes and sizes.

Poo in the Zoo by Steve Smallman | Goodreads Poo in the Zoo by Steve Smallman | Goodreads

I started working as an illustrator when I was in my final year at Art College and now, over 28 years later I still haven't got a proper job! It would be one thing to talk about animal scat in a way that helps us better understand the creatures themselves.This book is about a man working at a zoo, he is the one who cleans up all the poos, the doo-doos and the icky bleh things that animals drop around. The final spread shows the protagonist finally free from labor through his miraculous sale, with the labor now performed through technology. At times I wondered if this was a zoo, or just a place for animals to run around freely, because there was poo EVERYWHERE. A thinly veiled Marxist critique, Smallman's message is an absurdist twist on the premise: "If only I could sell poo for a ridiculous amount of money, I would be set for life. Steve has been illustrating children’s books for almost 30 years and writing his own stories for slightly less.