Wombat Poos Are Square

Wombat Poos Are Square (CSIRO Publishing) Sophie Gillies & Karen Erasmus PB RRP $26.99 9781486308759 

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Sophie Gillies has taught English and Environmental Studies and has a Creative Writing Degree. She lives in Canberra with her family. Karen Erasmus has been illustrating for children for years and lives on the south coast of Australia. She loves the diversity and quirkiness of Australian wildlife.

Discover all about animal poo and the important role poo plays in our unique Australian environment.

Sophie Gillies has created a fun, rhyming text packed with facts. The light-hearted humour, paired with simple and compound sentences, makes this story an enjoyable read. The opening sentence showcases how Australian creatures—from galahs and potaroos to stingrays and goannas—each do their own distinctive poos. The verbs make the information easy to absorb and keep the story flowing. Every now and then, the repeat refrain, "And wombat poos are square!" adds to the read-aloud value of the story, creating moments of laughter.

A variety of Australian animals and the types of poos they produce are covered, allowing readers to quietly learn along the way. I particularly love how the importance of each animal and their poo is recognised, and yes, the dung beetle is included too!  The ending links to the beginning. Each creature's poo is quite unique. Look closer, if you dare. You might learn something strange but true: like wombat poos are square! The backmatter is helpful, with a picture of each animal and fascinating poo facts. A glossary addresses the more scientific words and their meanings, making this a truly informative and fun read.

Karen Erasmus’ illustrations are vibrant, engaging, and full of character. The bright orange cover with a wombat front and centre with square poos immediately captures attention. The detailed endpapers feature some of our unique animals and flora in a repeated eye-catching pattern. I really love the dung beetles rolling a dung ball in varying poses. The colour palette is pleasing to the eye, and the animals featured are delightful. The illustrations capture the time of day or night the animal’s poo. The artwork captures the humour and offers playful depictions of Australian animals in their natural habitats. Each animal, from the galah to the goanna, is drawn with care and attention to detail, complementing the text. The illustrations enhance the humour and educational value of this delightful book.

Wombat Poos are Square is a picture book that really makes learning about our unique animals and their poo fun. It will inform and create awareness and an emotional connection to our unique Australian animals. To get more out of this book, get the teacher notes aligned with the Australian curriculum from the CSIRO Publishing website. This book is suitable for 5-9 years and will resonate with teachers and librarians, too.