Did you know that an adult African elephant can poo up to 20 times a day, producing over 100 kg of dung. So why isn't the savannah covered in it? Because of the mighty dung beetle!  

Small, Shiny Dung Beetle tells the story of a female dung beetle, who meets her mate on a fresh pile of elephant poo. Learn about her life cycle (more interesting than a butterfly's) and the super-strength it takes to keep the planet tidy. Because dung beetles don't just eat elephant poo. They could be in a field near you.

This book will feed the curiosity of the youngest of readers who are:

• keen to know how the world works
• fascinated by nature 
• enjoy learning new information

The story is carefully written for children learning to read, with additional factual captions for more advanced readers.

And here’s the WOW-factor – a large fold-out map of Africa at the end with diagrams and a fun I-Spy game to take children back into the book to find and identify animals in the pictures.

Small, Shiny Dung Beetle is part of the Start Small, Think Big series of science-based picture books:

• Aimed at children aged 4 to 8
• Covers KS1 primary science subjects that children learn at school 
• High-quality educational content, beautifully illustrated

Small, Shiny Dung Beetle explores the story of a little green beetle involving fights, theft, navigation by the stars, and a lot of determination and hard work. It covers the life cycle of insects, parts of an insect, food chains, and the different types of dung beetle. The book focuses on the African savannah and shows the beetle’s important role in cleaning up and enriching habitats across the world.

Each book in the series is set in a different habitat and part of the world:
Small, Sparkling Raindrop (Southeast Asia/wetlands and the water cycle)
Small, Speckled Egg (polar regions and the life cycle of an Arctic tern)
Little, Brown Nut (Amazon rainforest and the life cycle of a Brazil Nut tree)
Tiny, Floating Coral (Great Barrier Reef and the life cycle of coral)
Fluffy, Flying Seed (meadowlands and the life cycle of a dandelion)
Small, Shiny Dung Beetle (African savannah and the life cycle of an insect) 

Build your own life cycle library with this series, a brilliant addition to any home or school bookshelf. 

Printed on FSC paper from sustainable forests.

Beautifully presented, the book is designed to withstand repeated readings and would make an excellent addition to any bookshelf, not only for KS1, but also offering support to older children who are less confident readers.

I particularly like the two levels of text as the reader follows the dung beetle’s extraordinary journey from mating to producing a family. Many primary science topics are covered in this volume. The giant fold-out map of Africa is stunning, and overflowing with fascinating facts.

The story is told by the dung beetle herself and, it makes for fascinating reading, informing readers about grassland habitats, metamorphosis and predation as well as the role played by decomposers and recyclers in a healthy ecosystem. Recommended for all school libraries and the home.

This book is jam-packed with facts and information not just about the dung beetle but about the African Savannah and the animals who live there. The illustrations are beautiful with lots of elements for children to spot, aided by an eye-spy on the large, fold-out page at the end. 

This is a delightful book that explores the incredible world of dung beetles. With stunning illustrations and engaging fun facts, this book has been keeping Little Owls captivated from start to finish. It is perfect for little ones eager to learn more about nature and the wonders of the animal kingdom.

Mary Auld is an award-winning writer of children's information books, most notably How To Build an Orchestra with the London Symphony Orchestra. Mary Auld is a pen name for Rachel Cooke, former Editorial Director at Hachette and an honorary fellow of the English Association in recognition of her work in children's non-fiction. She lives in Nottinghamshire.

Illustrator Hannah Bailey is a British illustrator who has established a reputation for her factual picture books and editorial work in publications for National Geographic, the Wildlife Trust and Soho House. When the Whales Walked (Words & Pictures) won the SLA Children's Choice Award for 7-12s, and in the US was an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students. Her previous book for Mama Makes Books, The Most Important Animal of All, was a Books for Topics' Best Book of 2021. She lives in Somerset with her family.

Sally-Ann Spence is both farmer and highly respected entomologist, Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, the Linnaean Society, and an Honorary Associate at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. She founded the UK Dung Beetle Mapping Project and Dung Beetles for Farmers. Find Sally-Ann and her son illustrated at the end of the book.