The Great Stink: ... London’s Poop Pollution Problem by Colleen Paeff and Nancy Carpenter - ADVISABLE

The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solves London’s Poop Pollution Problem by Colleen Paeff, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Simon and Schuster, 2021. $18. 9781534449299 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

London, England, in the 1800’s was disgusting. Not only did it smell terrible, but the city went through several cholera outbreaks in short succession. Joseph survived the outbreaks and he was determined to not only find the source of the disease, but also straighten out London’s higgledy-piggledy sewer system, which he hypothesized was the cause of the outbreaks. Parliament stalls until the 1850’s. It takes only 6 years to build Joseph’s system and when the next outbreak comes, he is proven correct. 

 While the walking skeletons that represent London’s dead are a bit macabre, the book is fascinating. I would love to read this with a class – at whatever level or class covers disease, sanitation, pollution, or even the history of London. 

 Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS