2 Books that Disgust and Educate

Spotlight on the Revolting

Two Books that Disgust and Educate

Slime. Poop. Decay. You're likely turned off by that list, but your kid's eyes would be dancing. What is it about nasty stuff that intrigues children so? Whatever it is, these two books appeal to children's natural curiosity and teach about the physical world (animals, bugs, our bodies, etc.) through disgustingly inviting topics. If your kid is into gross stuff, these are two options to take a peek at.

Ick!: Delightfully Disgusting Animal Dinners, Dwellings, and Defenses 

By Melissa Stewart

Published by National Geographic Kids, June, 2020

Mom's Review
This one actually took us a long time to get into. At first, T was enthusiastic, but then he flipped through the whole book and was too grossed out to keep reading. After a long intermission, we returned to Ick!, but avoided the most disgusting creatures that feast on our own bodies.

Each two-page spread is filled with vivid photographs and information that is accessible to all ages. Did you know that baby pandas will only poop or pee if their moms lick their butts? Now that we've read Ick!, I do! Some creatures look adorable (like those baby pandas) and some look foul. There is an "Extra Ick!" section on each page, which T particularly enjoyed. This sidebar provides further information about the featured animal, or it introduces a second animal that engages in the same icky behavior. 

Ick! was laugh-out-loud fun. We loved shrieking, "Ewww!" and also learning about all sorts of animals. T is eager to share the black-hooded cobra page with one of his friends.

Son's Review

Ick! was a good book except for the buggy-wuggies. 

I'll tell you the funniest thing I learned – that the rabbit eats its poop.

I'll tell you the cutest thing. It's cute animals use poop and pee for defending themselves. 

There are some things that are so gross that I didn't even want to read about them. I hated the bugs. They looked disgusting. They looked terrifying.

I would wanna see the cute little squirrel that bathes in snake pee and bathes in snake poop. I mean a little chipmunk.

[People should expect] all the gross stuff.

Gross Science Experiments: 60 Smelly, Scary, Silly Tests to Disgust your Friends and Family

By Emma Vanstone

Published by Page Street Kids, October 2020

Mom's Review
Gross Science Experiments is even better than I expected. Divided by topic (Ex: poo, blood and brains, gross history...), each section engages kids with easy experiments and comprehensive background information. For example, in the "Stinky Smells" section, readers learn about the olfactory sense and how it is related to taste. A simple experiment allows children to experience the relationship by plugging their noses while sampling different flavored foods. Some experiments require almost nothing, others use common household products like lotion or flour, and some require less common items like petri dishes or glitter.

It was easy to learn about a range of topics through the fun experiments. While we haven't done all of them yet, T has made a list of top priorities, including what he wants to try out on his dad! So far, favorites include soaking chicken bones in vinegar to see if they soften and modeling the digestive system with food, a plastic bag, a jar, and an old nylon stocking.

Son's Review

I think the poop section looks the best to us. The poop section is funny, and I'm glad I learned the recipe [for fake chocolate poop] because now I'm able to make delicious things.

Note: Review copies were provided upon request for the purpose of honest reviews.