The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London's Poop Pollution Problem

The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London's Poop Pollution Problem by Colleen Paeff and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

Once there was city called London in England.  (Yes, I do realize there is still a London in England but it's sooo different than the one in this book.)  The city had grown from a small town to a large city over hundred of years and now it had LOTS of people.  The problem with LOTS of people is that this creates LOTS of trash, or in this case LOTS of poop.  And, LOTS of poop creates LOTS of bad smells.  Why is that a problem?  Good question!  In the 1800s when all this poop was becoming a problem, people did NOT have indoor plumbing like we have today.  The London city leaders thought all the poop should be flushed into the River Thames.  But, guess where all the drinking water came from...yup, you guessed it.  GROSS!!!  As a result, lots of people were getting sick and dying, but no one was making the connection between what was being dumped in the river and the water people were drinking.  English engineer Joseph Bazalette knew there was a problem and he had an idea on how to fix it, but would anyone listen to him...  I just love this story.  I had heard of Joseph Bazalgette before but this is the first time I'd ever seen a non-fiction picture book about him.  The language in the book is easy enough for younger students to understand while also being detailed enough to keep older students interested.  The end of the book not only has a timeline but it also explains how cities are still working today to keep rivers clean.  To learn more about Joseph Bazalgette watch these great videos by the Institution of Civil Engineers and Kid Science.