11th June 2012

In a book that spins off from an extended joke in his previous novel, Snuff, Terry Pratchett and his co-authors present a children's book suitable for the inhabitants of Discworld, whose outlook is somewhat different.

Presented as a meta-fiction (a story within a story), The World of Poo tells the tale of Geoffrey, a young boy on a visit to the big city of Ankh-Morpork, where he decides to start a museum of poo. Accompanying the story are a vast array of real world facts, wrapped up in such a way that the reader can learn without realising.

The book will certainly appeal to young boys and young-at-heart boys (aka fathers) and to girls who have escaped brainwashing by the pink-brigade into thinking anything dirty is wrong. There are a few words that some parents may prefer their little angels not exposed to, but I felt there was nothing that could do a child harm to hear.

An entertaining read of six chapters that I would expect children to laugh out loud to. Excellent bed-time reading.

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