Poo Pile on the Prairie

Starred review from December 15, 2024
An invitation to step into a small but bustling ecosystem. "Fresh bison pie!" exclaims one dung beetle as it climbs onto a newly deposited pile of poop. "The perfect place to raise a family," chortles another. "Dung for dinner!" "And dessert!" Young readers may not be so thrilled by the fecal find. But as they follow events on and under the melting brown bounty in Hevron's close-up digital collages from one spring to the next over the course of a year, they'll quickly be caught up in wonder. Flies swarm, meadowlarks and other hungry predators fly in for the insect banquet, pretty prairie violets and other wildflowers spring up, butterflies flutter, and prairie dogs burrow beneath ("Mmm, these roots are tangy!"). After eight months of "sunshine and showers," the poo pile has become "a bouquet of...fragrant flowers, graceful grasses, and three thousand flies, beetles, and biters." Winter brings a slower tempo for residents, identified in a final group portrait, and the following spring, mama bison is back...with a new little pooper in tow. Hevron blends whimsy and science for an enchanting and much-needed reminder that complex ecosystems can be found in the most unlikely of places. It's all a grand cycle, laid out beautifully in the engaging art and recapped in an afterword that includes a tally of North American prairie habitats where viewers can watch things play out in real life. A heaping helping of natural history, delivered with a wink. (additional reading, selected sources)(Informational picture book. 5-8)

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January 1, 2025
This informative picture book describes how a bison's "steamy poo pile" becomes an important part of a prairie ecosystem. Over the course of a year, insects eat and lay eggs inside it; toads, turtles, and birds come to eat the bugs; flowers and grasses grow in the enriched soil. In the spring, a poo pile from a baby bison begins the cycle anew. Mixed-media illustrations depict the variety of life on the prairie; speech bubbles add personality ("Mmm, these roots are tangy!" muses a munching prairie dog). More background, a bibliography, and further reading are appended.

(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from February 1, 2025
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* It's spring on the Great Plains, and a mighty bison herd thunders across the expanse, mowing down piles of plants. All of that grass-gobbling results in one inevitable conclusion: bison poo! That might seem like the story's end, but it's actually just the start. "Don't mind if I do!" a dung beetle happily declares, diving headfirst into their favorite foodstuff. Some eat the poop, some burrow beneath it, and others cart away bits for later use. Flies find it the perfect place to lay their eggs, while other critters feast on an easy insect meal. Seeds sprout, creatures hatch, and clever burrowing owls even snatch some poo to use as bait for tasty beetles. By the time the next spring rolls round, the poop pile is nearly unrecognizable, having played host to an unfathomable amount of life, and a new baby bison on the horizon promises that the cycle will begin anew. This incredibly amusing addition to the Tiny Habitats series is a treasure, turning a seemingly silly subject into a thoughtful study of a vital ecosystem. Charming illustrations are as informative as they are appealing, and frequent funny asides will have readers laughing out loud. Helpful back matter adds context and options for additional reading. A spectacular snapshot of a truly special--if slightly smelly--small world.

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