A superficial treatment of an undeniably big idea.
A graphic history of sanitation, from indoor toilets in Scotland 8,000 years ago to the advent of chlorinated water in 1908.
Concluding with a massive bibliography but written and illustrated in the spirit of a middle school term paper, this latest in the Big Ideas series offers heaping piles of yuks and yucks. Narrator George E. Waring Jr.—a 19th-century engineer whose pioneering efforts resulted in cleaner streets in Memphis and New York City—discourses anecdotally on the world-changing development of public and private toilets, sewers, bathing, soap, and purified drinking water. Taking evident delight in depicting nauseated people, polluted waterways, and pipes pouring raw sewage into the latter in his big, loosely drawn panels, the author/illustrator describes sanitation practices of everyone from space travelers (“Is that a comet?” “Nope, flaming poop”) to the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Chinese. Though he does dispense nods to “fatbergs,” rubber duckies, and other random nuggets along the way, in general the informational load is light at best. For instance, he doesn’t mention many significant public health scientists (a reference to Dr. John Snow is relegated to the timeline), antiseptics, or even what the “certain rocks” or “special powder” used for water purification might be called. In a sudden change of tone at the end, Brown tacks on a concerned but perfunctory call to recognize that even today, two billion people lack access to clean water.
A superficial treatment of an undeniably big idea. (more information on George E. Waring Jr., notes, author’s note, index) (Graphic nonfiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9781419779961
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Abrams Fanfare
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
A well-intentioned description of life before birth. The illustrations make use of photographs (including ultrasound) and artist’s drawings, often in the same image, and these are well used to clarify the text. How babies grow and develop inside the womb is both described and illustrated, and while the tone is one of forced cheer, the information is sound. Also offered are quite silly exercises for children to experience what life in the womb might be like, such as listening to a dishwasher to experience the sounds a baby hears inside its mother’s body, or being held under a towel or blanket by an adult and wiggling about. The getting-together of sperm and egg is lightly passed over, as is the actual process of birth. But children may be mesmerized by the drawings of the growing child inside the mother, and what activities predate their birth dates. Not an essential purchase, but adequate as an addition to the collection. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-8)
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2000
ISBN: 1-894379-01-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Firefly
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2000
A generally attractive and entertaining medical reference that will appeal to inquiring minds.
A compendium of low-key medical information for the upper grade school set.
Got a headache? A rash? A pulled muscle or a sprained ankle? Disease by disease and injury by injury, this basic medical text takes young readers through various ailments, breaking each one down into a simple explanation of the problem. There’s “First Response”—what the child can do to help alleviate the situation; “What Your Doctor Does”—which sometimes includes the advice that a doctor may not be necessary in many cases; “What Your Body Does”—the physiological response to the problem; and “What You Can Do to Prevent…”—common-sense health and safety advice. Often-humorous cartoon illustrations are featured on nearly every spread, along with high-quality color photographs of various ailments (sprained ankle, conjunctivitis, etc.). Each section includes an “Ouch! Pain Scale,” a facial icon that indicates the degree of pain caused, although some offer such a range as to seem superfluous. While the explanations are basic and utilize kid-friendly words like germs, puke and poop, this effort also offers solid information, including terms like granulocytes and phagocytosis. These trickier words are defined clearly in the text and included in an extensive glossary. Unfortunately, no references are included. Photo captions are presented in a small, pale orange, italicized text that’s challenging to read.
A generally attractive and entertaining medical reference that will appeal to inquiring minds. (Nonfiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-62354-005-0
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Imagine Publishing
Review Posted Online: June 25, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2013
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
