THERE’S A ZOO IN MY POO
By PROFESSOR FELICE JACKA
AND ROB CRAW
Genre: Children’s, Non-fiction
Publication: 28 July 2020
Publisher: PAN MACMILLAN AUSTRALIA
Source: Review copy from publisher – Thank You
Rating: ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵

World expert in the field of Nutritional Psychiatry and gut health, Professor Felice Jacka and teacher and musician Rob Craw have created one of the first gut-health picture books aimed at kids: There’s a Zoo in my Poo.

Exciting new science tells us now that an unhealthy gut can contribute to a wide range of health issues including obesity and depression. And for children, a poorly functioning gut may contribute to stomach aches, poor immunity, allergies and asthma, and mood fluctuations.

There’s a Zoo in my Poo is a funny, entertaining and informative look at gut-health, encouraging kids to become the Zookeepers to the trillions of tiny bugs that live in and on all of us. It’s designed to give kids the knowledge and power to make healthy choices for themselves.
An important, timely, and engrossing introduction to gut health for kids (and their parents), who will learn which are the good bugs and which are the bad, and what we should eat to keep our good bugs happy and our body strong.

Fun and educational, There’s a Zoo in my Poo gets to the guts of what makes a healthy, happy you!

About the author and the illustrator:
Professor Felice Jacka is an international expert in the field of Nutritional Psychiatry and gut health and leads a research field examining how individuals’ diets affect mental and brain health. Rob Craw is a teacher, musician, and illustrator, who shares Jacka’s passion for educating everyone, especially kids, about the importance of healthy eating.

LINKS: Goodreads | Pan Macmillan | Booktopia | Amazon

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I had only just finished opening the Pan Mac postal pack and placed the book on my desk when Ethan spotted it, picked it up and proclaimed “Ohhhh, can you read this to me mummy” – So that’s a win for the overall physical look of the book – it looks just like a little kids picture book with its bright glossy hardcover and full-colour pages printed on high-quality paper.

The artwork is reminiscent of Dr. Seuss, as are the chapter headings and the little poems that accompany them.
Dr. Seuss vibes! always a win in my book!

The main text of the book is interesting and informative, delving into how the gut actually works digesting food, fueling the body, the connection between mood and food and so much more. As an adult, I can appreciate the way the author has organised the data and facts into something digestible for a younger audience, and I applaud the book’s good intentions, but my two did struggle with the large info blocks. We took two breaks while reading it, poping in two just-for-fun silly picture books for a rest and that seemed to do the trick for Riley (7-yrs-old) at least, who afterward said he liked the book.

So Riley (7) and I liked it, but Ethan (3) lost interest once we got to the large chunks of text – I’d say, this is a book best suited for 6 to 10 year olds. I can see it being a classroom hit, with the teachers and primary school students, which is what I think the author was going for.

At the back of the book are some gut health recipes with fun titles! I am keen to make some of these with the boys, as I think the funny names and being apart of making the food concoctions might just get them excited enough to get the courage to try eating them – big win right there!

Physical appearance/feel – 5/5.
Dr. Seuss vibes – 5/5.
Books educational content – 5/5.
Overall reading enjoyment – 3/5.
The recipes – 5/5.

Conclusion: THERE’S A ZOO IN MY POO is a book that well worth the read with your 6-10 year old – They’ll learn something and you just might too.