Review of The Very Hungry Beagles Guide to Poop

[Cristina Chifane]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Very Hungry Beagles Guide to Poop" by M. Jackson, Lucky, Mr. Beckham, Peanut.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Here are some interesting facts about dogs and their sense of smell. Compared to people, dogs have 300 million olfactory receptors and can smell 10,000 to 100,000 better than us. Moreover, they are characterized by neophilia, the irresistible appeal of new attractive odors. The Very Hungry Beagles Guide to Poop is a children’s book that springs exactly from these facts. Kids and adults will love this funny, unorthodox book about beagles and their incredible sense of smell.

The authors are supposed to be three clever beagles, Mr. Beckham, Lucky, and Peanut, who pretend to have dictated everything to their butler, M. Jackson. He is, in fact, the author behind the scene. Such a narrative technique helps readers relate to the naughty beagles, see things through their eyes, and smell things through their noses. As the title suggests, there is no story. The three beagles take it upon themselves to analyze the different types of poop that they are drawn to. Each type eventually gets a score based on smell, taste, texture, and rarity. By the end of the book, you will discover the winner, the smell every beagle dies for.

Laugh out loud? Maybe, but please remember that the beagles’ mission is to teach you something about them. I can testify to the fact that the book is both entertaining and educational. Kids will have the chance to learn many things not only about dogs but also about other animals, ranging from hedgehogs and fish to goats and cows. Even if there is no traditional plot development, tension and suspense build up gradually as you wait to find out the winner of the smelling contest.

The book has 26 pages. Each page with descriptions and ratings is accompanied by corresponding watercolor drawings. Signed by Ros Webb, the illustrations are full of vivid colors and beautifully feature the animals mentioned in the text. On the whole, the vocabulary is not very difficult. However, more complex words do occur (see “invertebrates” – p. 4, “shenanigans,” or “pungent” – p. 16). Sometimes, inlaid onomatopoeic words and exclamatory sentences make the book appropriate for loud reading. What I liked most, though, was the author’s sense of humor. Although I disliked nothing in particular, I think the font size could have been bigger for more clarity.

I am rating The Very Hungry Beagles Guide to Poop 4 out of 4 stars for its challenging content and appealing format. Apart from two missing periods and one missing comma, I did not notice any other editing errors. I am sure many would not imagine a book on such a topic. I can assure you the content is not gross at all. Perhaps just a bit smelly. After all, beagles do not go for a walk but on a sniffari. I recommend this guide primarily to nursery and primary school children. Parents and teachers with no fear of taboos will enjoy the reading experience too.

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The Very Hungry Beagles Guide to Poop
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[Penny Ann Criswell Johnson]

Astonishing, a book on dogs poop. Who would have thought to write a book on dogs smelling poop? It sounds like you really enjoyed it. I will have to check this book out. Great review!

[Shadreck Rogers]

I am not a fan of children's books but this one looks like it is somehow educative even to an adult. Thanks for the review.

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

The narrative sounds fun as I haven't encounter children's books about poop before. This is a rare concept. I think Beagles love smelling different poop along the way. This sounds hilarious to children. Congratulations to the author on BOTD!

[Vijay Kumar 13]

The Very Hungry Beagles Guide to Poop is a funny and educational children's book about dogs and smells. It explores different types of poop, teaches about animals, and has colorful illustrations. It's recommended for kids in nursery and primary school.

[Domeseo Camus Meda]

A BOOK BY M.JACKSON LUCKY, MR BECKHAM PEANUT WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE SMELL OF DOGS COMPARED TO HUMANS AND SAYS THAT DOGS HAVE 300 MILLION RECEPTORS AND CAN SMELL 10,000 TO 100,000 TIMES BETTER THAN US.
A BOOK FOR KINDERGARTEN, PRIMARY AND PARENTS TOO.GOOD REVIEW

[Leen282]

The title already makes me giggle. The educational content will come across and be remembered more easily thanks to the entertaining setting of the beagles telling their story.

[Rishikesh1601]

I absolutely loved "The Very Hungry Beagle's Guide to Poop"! As a beginner in the world of dog ownership, this book was perfect for me. I couldn't stop laughing while reading it. It's concise and packed with valuable information, and the humor kept me engaged from start to finish. Highly recommended for anyone looking for an entertaining and educational read on a quirky subject.

[Manang Muyang]

I am disappointed that the book isn't free. This book looks like it's a lot of fun. So dogs have such a keen sense of smell. That's why they are valuable to the police force.

I wonder who will win the poop contest!

What an entertaining review you wrote there, Cristina!

[Timothy Rucinski]

I can safely say that this is the only book on my shelf at the moment that features poop. Certainly, this is a unique, and quite humorous, book for the young ones to pick up and enjoy. I poop you not!

[Aditi A]

Interesting review, you wrote. Got me hooked from the initial few lines and entice me to read the whole book though it kind of pertains to mainly children. Such books, I always consider, to be more difficult than standard fiction/non-fiction reads due to the gamble of tone that the author needs to keep up with to make it suitable for kids and eventually adults. Overall a nice idea to base your book on and as for your review, it was phenomenal.

[Nancy004]

The book promises a delightful combination of humor, education, and colorful illustrations. Exploring dogs' incredible sense of smell in a fun and engaging way sounds like a captivating reading experience. Congratulations to the author on #BOTD.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

The concept is equal parts gross and hilarious. I'm sure kids will love it. I'm not so sure about adults.
I like the idea of empathizing with digs and learning about other animals but I don't know about poops.
Good review!

[Margi zuu202]

Book of the day BOTD is children genre a guide to various sniffers in the 10 minutes walk poop must be sniffed, grass must be eaten with different animals enjoying eating the beagles love to sniff and eat and the stinker it smell the better ..I find this book disgusting I don't know if its only me .. But

[Jhedyann Amores]

The sample on Amazon only contained the first three pages of the book but I love how colorful the pages are. I usually see children's book with a much muted color scheme but this one is pretty catchy and I think kids will definitely love this book.