The Great Stink

A Robert F. Sibert Honor Book!

Discover the true story about the determined engineer who fixed London’s pollution problem in this funny, accessible nonfiction picture book featuring engaging art from the illustrator of Queen Victoria’s Bathing Machine.

It’s the summer of 1858, and London’s River Thames STINKS. What is creating this revolting smell? The answer is gross: the river is full of poop.

But the smell isn’t the worst problem. Every few years, cholera breaks out, and thousands of people die. Could there be a connection between the foul water and the deadly disease?

One engineer dreams of making London a cleaner, healthier place. His name is Joseph Bazalgette. His grand plan to create a new sewer system to clean the river is an engineering marvel. And his sewers will save lives. Nothing stinky about that.

With tips for how to prevent pollution today, this fascinating look at science, history, and what one person can do to create change will impress and astound readers who want to help make their planet a cleaner, happier place to live.

Winner of Golden Kite (Nonfiction Text for Younger Readers) 2022 Commended for Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award (Children's Book) 2022

"The Great Stink is a surprisingly sweet traipse through history....The smelly subject of London's poop pollution receives the royal treatment in a whimsical debut children's picture book." -- Shelf Awareness for Readers, starred review
"This informative exploration of London’s sanitation history will delight nonfiction fans interested in history, ecology, biography, and more." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Paeff celebrates this engineering feat with a lively but orderly overview of the history of sanitation misinformation, including that coming from Bazalgette himself, and Carpenter has a field day illustrating a comical confrontation between Londoners and royalty and their offensive river." -- BCCB

Fueled by English breakfast tea, a burning curiosity, and a love of research, Colleen Paeff writes from a book-lined office in an old pink house with a view of the Hollywood sign. Visit her online at ColleenPaeff.com.

Nancy Carpenter is the acclaimed illustrator of Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Hunt, Queen Victoria’s Bathing Machine, Fannie in the Kitchen, and Loud Emily, among other books. Her works have garnered many honors, including two Christopher Awards and the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at NancyCarpenter.website.

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