Wombats poo in cubes? by Dr. Audrey Shen and Briana Heinrich

Winston the baby wombat wonders why his poo is shaped like cubes. He asks the question of his friends, to find out why. Greta the cow has big, flat poos, Billy the goat offers a handful of small round poos, Charlie the cockatoo has white sloppy poos that make a splat on the ground, but his research  does not answer his question, so he offers some reasons why this may be so.

Perhaps it is so that it does not roll away or roll into his burrow as it would if it was round. Perhaps they are square so he could play with them like a toy, or their brick like structure may enable small creatures to build a house. Or is it because he is not eating healthily, or perhaps the cubes reflect the shape of his stomach or his bottom. He asks his mum but she does not know and sends him to the Possumwood Wildlife Hospital to ask the staff.

Dr Audrey and Nurse Briana give him several reasons, telling him his stomach is not cube shaped but does stretch and move about to give his poo the shape it is. The oddly shaped poo could be left as a warning to other animals, or left to attract other wombat friends, because it would not roll away but stay in one place. But for whatever reason, the wombat is the only animal in the world with cube shaped poo. Winston feels very special as he leaves the hospital, and going home finds a little pile of cube shaped poo, so he knows there is another wombat nearby.

A cute story which will intrigue readers, especially those attracted by the topic spelt out loudly on the title page, the little wombat story is a great way to introduce this animal’s signature waste disposal. Accompanied by illustrations that will appeal to young readers, children will follow Winston’s story with interest and a laugh.

Themes: Wombats, Australian animals, Poo, Humour.

Fran Knight