Dung beetle on a roll by Sandra Severgnini

Dung Beetle on a Roll is a fascinating look at one of the tiniest of creatures, the dung beetle. Without dung beetles gathering up the dung/poo from nature and recycling the nutrients from the dung into the soil as well as aerating the land, our farming and natural ecosystems may not be as healthy as needed.  Dung beetles can collect and push dung balls weighing up to 50 times their weight. They come in three different types:

1.  Rollers, that roll the dung into a ball and then find a perfect spot for it where a female may be impressed.
2.  Tunnellers, that make tunnels under the dung where they bury small balls to raise babies in.
3.  Dwellers, who move into the perfect dung and make a home in it.

Following on from the information in the early pages, there is a story about an adult male dung beetle that rolls a huge ball of dung that breaks apart. He then realises that quality is better than quantity and sets about to create the perfect dung ball that might attract a mate.

Sandra Severgnini, as both author and illustrator, has created an informative and highly accessible book that has striking illustrations showing considerable detail that perfectly complement the text. The clever title and the front cover are delightful and will appeal to younger readers. The ingenious use of two different maze activities on the front and back endpapers are an added bonus. The Fabulous Facts about Dung Beetles in the final pages are important for those children whose interest is piqued and would love to find out more. Teacher notes are available.

Themes: Dung Beetles, Ecosystems, Animal Recyclers.

Kathryn Beilby