Module 11 - Poop Happened!

Summary: This book is an anecdotal history of how humans have dealt with the topic of waste elimination throughout history, from the ancients through how astronauts go in space. The book discusses the (lack of) hygiene, diseases, and fashions of various times throughout history, albeit mostly in the Western World.

Albee, S., & Leighton, R. (2010). Poop happened!, a history of the world from the bottom up. New York, NY: Walker Books for Young Readers.

My Impressions: This is a fun book to thumb through, full of trivia about the ways humans have dealt with a serious topic often seen as taboo. The pages are visually appealing, although the book would be even more stunning in full-color. The puns are funny, the information interesting, and the writing very conversational. The gross-out factor is pretty high, so this book isn't for the faint of heart. However, the topic is dealt with fairly well, without too many graphic details left in to scandalize.

Reviews:

"With candid humor, this book spotlights an important aspect of history, discussing human waste, from prehistoric times to the present. Featuring photographs, reproduced images, and cartoons, Albee's exposé explores the spread of diseases, the history of plumbing, and cultural attitudes toward excrement and hygiene, along with delightfully uncouth anecdotes (French courtiers used the "feathers attached to the neck of a dead goose" to wipe their behinds). Descriptions of stinky 18th-century London and the plight of the great unwashed throughout time should leave readers grateful for their porcelain thrones and glad to have taken the down and dirty--but informative--journey. Ages 8-12."-- Publisher's Weekly

Poop Happened! A History of the World from the Bottom Up. (2010). Publishers Weekly, 257(18), 51. Retrieved November 2, 2011, from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8027-2077-1.

"With a focus on the Western world in general and England in particular, the author touches on an array of topics from diseases such as cholera and plague to the development of increased sanitation in large urban areas such as London. The exciting format is comprised of a two-color (pastel green and blue) layout with numerous illustrations and photos. Interesting sidebars describe occupations and "hygiene heroes" such as Edwin Chadwick and bathroom fashion. The fluid writing style that ensnares and holds readers' attention from beginning to end. By bringing history alive, this captivating work is without a doubt an essential purchase." -- School Library Journal

Odom, B. (2010). Poop Happened!: A History of the World from the Bottom Up. School Library Journal, 56(5), 126.  Retrieved November 2, 2011, from http://www.libraryjournal.com/slj/printissuecurrentissue/884743-427/grades_5_amp_up.html.csp.

Uses in the Library: Support for history projects or a display of "Gross-Out" books that might bring in some of the more reluctant boy readers.