Do Bees Pee?: The Curious and Amazing Ways Nature Avoids Poo-llution

by Linda Booth Sweeney, Ariel Rutland (Illustrator)

This silly and informational picture book explores how ecosystems work and celebrates the interconnectedness of nature.

When you think of pee and poo, do you say ewww?
If you're a human, you probably flush your poo down the loo.
But in the wild, animal poo and pee
helps nature stay healthy, strong, and pollution-free!

This fun, informational picture book—just right for the youngest readers—pairs bright, graphic art and short, laugh-out-loud text to explore closed-loop, waste-free systems and celebrate the interconnectedness of the natural world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Animals, Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Science

40 pages, Hardcover

Published August 18, 2026

Reviews

[Beth Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through a Q&A format kids learn about poo with purpose. The rhymes push the narrative along, sharing special words for feces of eleven animals along with how it becomes part of the ecosystem, helping to sustain other creatures. Poop isn’t just fertilizer, it’s serious stuff! Great STEM back matter encourages us humans to consider ways to lessen our waste and make it part of a system.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who’s ever wondered if and how different animals relieve themselves, this is a fun picture book to find out with. Told in rhyme to match the whimsical nature and voice of the topic, readers learn about the different types of waste products animals release and also about how that excrement is used or broken down in nature. Additional back matter makes it useful in the classroom.

[Marcie Flinchum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful nonfiction rhyming book for the youngest readers will delight those who love to laugh about poo and pee (who doesn’t?). For each animal, there are short sidebars that give the reader a little bit more information. Kids will all be chiming in for the poo rap featured at the end. Highly recommended for preschool and young elementary readers. A must-purchase for school libraries.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a fun read-aloud for our family! We had so many giggles reading it together while also learning so much in the process. It quickly became the kind of book that makes everyone want to chime in and join the fun. Beyond the potty humor (which is always a great attention grabber for children!), it’s filled with rich underlying themes that sparked curiosity, hysterical reactions, and great conversation from our two young readers. My son even made the connection to some facts he had learned from his Kindergarten teacher the year before about waste cycles in the ocean. However in this book, he and his older sister could learn even more beyond the ocean and nature's way of recycling in different parts of the planet. I love when a book can make learning feel like play, and this one does exactly that.

[Melissa Koch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This playful, rhyming nonfiction picture book is packed with pee and poo humor (consider yourself warned) and fantastic facts about the purpose of animal waste. The back matter invites readers to think about how they can be part of an ecological system like all other animals that nourishes the Earth. A must read aloud at home and at school.

[Toby Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun book to share with our 6 year old granddaughter. There were lots of giggles talking about “poop” which also happens to be a hot topic for 1st graders! The suggestion for a dance turned into a belly laugh as we shout all the different terms for poop. Bravo!

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at how nature uses the bodily waste of different animals to continue life on the planet. Interesting facts.

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute introduction for young readers to a gross, hilarious subject! Also, I only knew 'fewmets' from Jane Yolen's Pit Dragon series, so I've learned something today!

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and informative!

[Karen Gedeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story to read to young children based in science. It will start many conversations. Includes a page "More About Animal Poo and Pee" and "A Note to Caregivers".

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Subtitle: The Curious and Amazing Ways Nature Avoids Poo-llution
Sweeney explores several animals and the way that their scat is used in nature. The words and illustrations seem simplistic enough that this would make a great board book. There are added details for each creature and some back matter.
Little children are pretty poo-oriented. The end of the book includes a poo song, celebrating the many different words we use for animal feces - odd, but could be catchy.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

[Mizzy Mint · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so silly. This is also an informative little book on poo. It illustrates both the cycle of use for other animals and the difference in poop for different animals. It is very simplistic and a fast read. It also is set up to be very interactive for teaching children. I also like how simplistic and juvenile the illustrations are, no one wants a highly detailed and realistic book on poop for kids, lol.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out alright. There is good information here about what actually happens to animal waste in the world. The book itself felt a bit scattered halfway in. Sometimes there was a whole page talking about the life cycle the poo is a part of. Other times, there's just one line. There's also a random Poo Rap that doesn't have an obvious beat to follow. This book is just okay.

There are fun moments and good information to share during an older kid or preschool storytime.

[Keila Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you think of pee and poo, do you say ewww?" Author Linda Booth Sweeny uses humor and witty words to inform young children how animal pee and poo help the environment. The backmatter, CAN YOU MATCH THE SPECIES WITH ITS FECES? further engages young children and provides more information about the insects and animals featured in the book. A wonderful book to add to home, school, and library shelves.

[Tina Cho · Rating 5 out of 5]

This nonfiction rhyming picture book is a fun way to learn about how nature recycles through animal waste from bees to whales to elephants to parrotfish and more! Sidebars and back matter give more interesting facts. And Rutland’s colorful illustrations make these animals irresistible.

[Kelly]

Thinking about eating poo is gross.

[Keila Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When you think of pee and poo, do you say ewww?" Author Linda Booth Sweeny uses humor and witty words to inform young children how animal pee and poo help the environment. The backmatter, CAN YOU MATCH THE SPECIES WITH ITS FECES? further engages young children and provides more information about the insects and animals featured in the book. A wonderful book to add to home, school, and library shelves.