Review Detail

In Flush It Down: The Story of Sewers Through Time you learn about sewers from Cloaca Maxima in Ancient Rome to the waste-filled streets in the Middle Ages, up until the tunnels of Joseph Bazalgette’s Great London Sewer. Through vibrant, detailed illustrations, Flush It Down has many fun facts, disgusting stories, and questions that inspire discussion regarding human waste now and the challenges we face.

What I Liked: Each section of this book gets two dedicated pages to explain what is shown in large letters. The layout of each page lends itself well to younger readers who are diving into non-fiction and may struggle with larger paragraphs of text. Each page is even more fun than the previous ones, and they all add to what you’ve learned throughout this book.

The illustrations throughout this book are fun and engaging for all readers. This book is one that is fun to read aloud with a group or between two people. It’s fun for all ages, and I’m certain everyone will be learning something new. There are some phrases and sayings that are around now, and this book provides context that makes those sayings a lot more fun and unique.

Final Verdict: Flush It Down: The Story of Sewers Through Time is a captivating non-fiction story that provides the history of the sewage system through detailed illustrations that put you right in the middle of each of these time periods. Children ages 8 and up will love this book, especially those who are into toilet humor or are interested in history.