Who Scoops Elephant Poo?

Never did, never wanted to, although I did shovel mounds of horse manure when I worked at a stable as a teenager. (It's hard work, let me tell you. And smelly!)

With its catchy title, this book  from Raintree's Wild Work series about unusual jobs is bound to attract a beginning reader's attention. And, happily, it delivers. Young animal lovers are sure to want to learn about all the different people who work in zoos. Zookeeper and veterinarian are the jobs that first spring to mind, but there are many others, such as curator, animal handler, zoo educator, entomologist, and aquarist.

The text is aimed at students in first and second grade, but reluctant readers in grades three and four will be drawn to the subject material as well. The photos include many great animal shots, such as a close-up of a porcupine being fed, a pelican getting an injection, and my favorite, a lioness about to undergo an MRI scan.

Additional titles in the series include Who Cleans Dinosaur Bones?: Working in a Museum, Who Walks the Tightrope?: Working in a Circus, and Who Rolls Through Fire?: Working on a Movie Set.

Who Scoops Animal Poo?: Working at a Zoo
by Margie Markarian
Raintree, 32 pages
Published: 2011

This week's Nonfiction Monday is at The Cat and the Fiddle.