Do Bears Poop in the Woods?

by Huw Lewis Jones, Sam Caldwell (Illustrator)

Overview

Field guide and intrepid explorer Huw Lewis Jones and wildlife illustrator Sam Caldwell take readers out into the wild to discover all there is to know and love about the eight different species of bears. 

Do you know your panda from your polar bear? Or can you spot the difference between a sun bear and a sloth bear? Follow your expert field guide as we travel deep into the woods and across Arctic ice to learn all the “bear” necessities.

Bears are familiar to us all, but what you might not realize is that behind their big, grizzly image are wild animals who really need our help. So put on your walking boots, grab your binoculars, and come along on a journey to see the eight incredible bear species in the wild. Written by an experienced field guide, author, and naturalist, Do Bears Poop in the Woods? gives children a taste of what it’s like to work with animals in the wild. Not only will you discover why bears poop so much, you’ll also find out how to avoid getting eaten by one and what we can do to protect them. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780500652763
Publisher:	Thames & Hudson
Publication date:	11/01/2022
Series:	Go Wild , #1
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	IG940L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Huw Lewis Jones is an author and naturalist. He is associate professor at Falmouth University, teaching natural history, and has written many books, including Do Bears Poop in the Woods? and the Bad Apple series of picture books. Follow him on Instagram @huwlewisjones.

Sam Caldwell is an illustrator based in Glasgow, Scotland. He studied painting at the Edinburgh College of Art and is the illustrator of several books for children. Follow him on Instagram @samcaldwelldraws.

Editorial Reviews

2022-08-31
Along with answering the titular question (“You bet they do!”), this field guide to bears presents a…heaping helping of facts.

Whatever readers, particularly those who actually live in bear territory, may think of Lewis-Jones’ positioning bears as “cute and cuddly” creatures and of Caldwell’s placing himself and the author in several painted scenes peeking out of bushes just a few feet away from their wild ursine subjects (“They should be watched from a safe distance.” No kidding!), there are enough behavioral notes, biological basics, and even bear references in myth and legend to satisfy most omnivorous younger naturalists. Not only do the eight extant species get individual character files and closer looks, with nods to both long and recently extinct species and the ultra-rare Gobi grizzly (perhaps less than 40 left), but the author explains in detail how the creature’s supersharp sense of smell works, how they communicate, and (natch) what scientists can learn from analyzing the contents of their voluminous scat—which, along with the expected food waste, “has been known to include tin cans, pizza boxes, plastic watches and even hubcaps.” In the illustrations, the two nature guides are occasionally joined by a cast of light- and dark-skinned children or researchers in museums or woodsy settings. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Could use clearer safety cautions for actual would-be observers, but armchair nature lovers will grab with both paws. (glossary, index) (Informational picture book. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews