10+ Children's Books about Animal Poop

What is it about poop that fascinates children?  Is it because talking and joking about poop irks some adults and gets a rise out of them?  Is it because talking about poop is supposed to be kept as a hush-hush secret?  Or is it simply because children just think it's funny to talk about poop nonstop?  Whatever the reason, here are 10+ children's books about animal poop that will (hopefully) channel their fascination with poop into something scientific and meaningful.  Enjoy!

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Life-Sized Animal Poop by John Townsend

Every animal, big and small, does it: poop. And kids can learn all about the process from this eye-opening guide, which features to-scale representations of feces from creatures across the globe, as well as salient facts and graphics showing the species’ size relative to humans. There’s even a gatefold image of elephant dung—which can’t fit on a single page! The guide will help young readers to identify different animals, from squirrels, skunks, coyotes, and geese to lynx, koalas, crocodiles, and mountain gorillas. It will open their eyes to nature’s wonders and encourage them to explore and appreciate their local wildlife.

💩🍎  Title: Life-Sized Animal Poop

💩🍎 Author: John Townsend

💩🍎 Illustrator: John Townsend

💩🍎 Publisher: Sterling Publishing

💩🍎 Date: September 3, 2019

💩🍎 Pages: 48

Poodunit: How to Track Animals by Their Poop, Footprints, and More! by Carlton Books

Get the scoop on poop—discover whodunnit with Poodunnit! Can you tell the difference between the delicate droppings of a deer and the smelly scat of a fox? Did you know that a whale’s poo is orange—or which dung can be burnt for fuel? Can you identify which creatures have been in your backyard? Find out in the ultimate detective guide to animals around the world—camels in the desert, polar bears in the Arctic, jaguars in the Amazon rainforest, fish in the ocean, and so many more! Read the clues and guess which animal made what, then turn the page to find the answers—you may be surprised at the animals you discover. Fun illustrations and photos; clear, humorous text; and “scat stats” with essential facts, make this the perfect book for kids curious about the animals around them.

💩🍎 Title: Poodunit? How to Track Animals by Their Poop, Footprints and More

💩🍎 Author: Carlton Brooks

💩🍎 Illustrator: Carlton Brooks

💩🍎 Publisher: Carlton Kids

💩🍎 Date: March 3, 2020

💩🍎 Pages: 32

Whose Poop Is That? by Darrin Lunde

Poop! Ewwww!  No, don’t say “Ewwww.” Ask, “Whose poop is that?” This simple, and yes, charming book asks this question about seven examples of animal poop. By investigating visual clues, young readers can learn to identify the animal through its droppings. For instance, find a sample of poop with bits of bone and tufts of hair. Turn the page to learn it came from a fox!  Kelsey Oseid’s illustrations are both accurate and beautiful. Backmatter includes further information about poop and what scientists can learn from an animal’s droppings.

💩🍎 Title: Whose Poop Is That?

💩🍎 Author: Darrin Lunde

💩🍎 Illustrator: Kelsey Oseid

💩🍎 Publisher: Charlesbridge

💩🍎 Date: January 10, 2017

Tracks, Scat, and Signs by Leslie Dendy

Become a nature detective with this illustrative, engaging, and fun Take-Along-Guide. You may not know where to look, or what to look for, but animal signs are everywhere and this guide will help you learn how to read them. You'll learn how to spot and identify common clues that 17 wildlife species leave behind in the woods, in the fields, and along ponds.

💩🍎 Title: Tracks, Scat, and Signs
💩🍎 Author: Leslie Dendy
💩🍎 Illustrator: Linda Garrow
💩🍎 Publisher: Cooper Square Publishing
💩🍎 Date: November 1, 1996
💩🍎 Pages: 48

Get the Scoop on Animal Poop! by Dawn Cusick

Full of laugh-out-loud gross facts about the animal kingdom's smelliest subject!  Poop gets a bad rap, but it’s really very cool and useful. Animals use poop in many different ways: to trick predators and prey, send messages, feed themselves and their babies, build homes, mark their territories, and more. Young readers will discover why rabbits, hamsters, pigs, and gorillas eat their own feces (gross!), why some ground-nesting birds circle their eggs with poop, and how caterpillars can build umbrellas made of poop to hide under. Perfect for young zoologists and fans of infotainment.

💩🍎 Title: Get the Scoop on Animal Poop!

💩🍎 Author: Dawn Cusick

💩🍎 Illustrator: Dawn Cusick

💩🍎 Publisher: Charlesbridge

💩🍎 Date: August 1, 2013

💩🍎 Pages: 80

What Do They Do With All That Poo? by Jane Kurtz

Find out what happens to all of the poo at the zoo in this funny and factual picture book!  There are so many different kinds of animals at the zoo, and they each make lots and lots (and sometimes LOTS!) of poo. So what do zoos do with all of that poo? This zany, fact-filled romp explores zoo poo, from cube-shaped wombat poo to white hyena scat, and all of the places it ends up, including in science labs and elephant-poo paper—even backyard gardens!

💩🍎 Title: What Do They Do With All That Poo?

💩🍎 Author: Jane Kurtz

💩🍎 Illustrator: Allison Black

💩🍎 Publisher: Beach Lane Books

💩🍎 Date: June 19, 2018

💩🍎 Pages: 40

Who Pooped in the Sonoran Desert? by Gary D. Robson

This charming tale of Michael, Emily, and their parents as they explore the Sonoran Desert is designed to both entertain and educate. Wildlife can be elusive, and both kids are disappointed when at first they don't encounter many animals in the park. The kids quickly learn, however, that there are animals all around, and these creatures leave behind scat and tracks. Colorful illustrations of animals and their leavings supplement this lively tale, and a quick identification chart at the back makes field identification a breeze!

💩🍎 Title: Who Pooped in the Sonoran Desert?

💩🍎 Author: Gary D. Robson

💩🍎 Illustrator: Robert Rath

💩🍎 Publisher: Farcountry Press

💩🍎 Date: March 15, 2006

💩🍎 Pages: 48

How Do Snakes Poop? by Malta Cunningham

Did you know that snakes poop and pee at the same time? Read this book to learn more about how snakes poop.

💩🍎 Title: How Do Snakes Poop?

💩🍎 Author: Malta Cunningham

💩🍎 Illustrator: Malta Cunningham

💩🍎 Publisher: Capstone Press

💩🍎 Date: August 1, 2018

💩🍎 Pages: 32

Poop: A Natural History of the Unmentionable by Nicola Davies

Hippos navigate by it.  Sloths keep in touch through it.  Dung beetles eat it . . . and most grown-ups would rather not mention it. But scientists who study animal feces find out all sorts of things, such as the number of insects a bat eats or just how a T. rex devoured a triceratops 70 million years ago. Poop is an excellent prototype for recycling and perhaps the most useful stuff on Earth. Take a peek at Poop and find out what it’s for, where it goes, and how much we can learn from it.  Back matter includes an index and a glossary.

💩🍎 Title: Poop: A Natural History of the Unmentionable

💩🍎 Author: Nicola Davies

💩🍎 Illustrator: Neal Layton

💩🍎 Publisher: Candlewick

💩🍎 Date: March 22, 2011

💩🍎 Pages: 64

Poop by Beatriz Giménez de Ory

Introduce budding scientists to a fun STEM topic -- poop! This interactive board book features riddles about the different poops of the animal kingdom and images that transform as you turn the page to reveal the answer. Includes fact-packed educational notes about poop and what we can learn from it.

💩🍎 Title: Poop

💩🍎 Author: Beatriz Giménez de Ory

💩🍎 Illustrator: Carlos Ballesteros

💩🍎 Publisher: Barefoot Books

💩🍎 Date: January 21, 2021

💩🍎 Pages: 28

Jurassic Poop: What Dinosaurs (and Others) Have Left Behind by Jacob Berkowitz

Left by an animal long ago, this durable doo-doo survived the long journey through the ages. It started out stinky, but now it's frozen, dried, or turned to rock. To a scientist, it's anything but gross --- it's a priceless artifact that can help piece together the puzzle of ancient life.  Funny and informative, Jurassic Poop is flush with amazing facts, stories, and activities. Learn how to spot ancient poop imposters. Meet dung detectives getting to the bottom of history's hind-end mysteries. Find out how poop gets preserved and discover what it can tell us about dinosaurs, humans, and many other animals from long ago. So hold your nose and take a journey back in time to see what tales ancient poop has to tell.

💩🍎 Title: Jurassic Poop: What Dinosaurs (and Others) Have Left Behind

💩🍎 Author: Jacob Berkowitz

💩🍎 Illustrator Steve Mack

💩🍎 Publisher: Kids Can Press

💩🍎 Date: August 1, 2006

💩🍎 Pages: 40

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