  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/01/2013 Toilets—our most fascinating home device? Probably—it’s rather magical how everything just disappears, isn’t it? In his signature squiggly style, Macaulay pulls back the curtain to show just how it all goes down (so to speak). Whether it’s the family dog’s bone, a dead goldfish, or human waste, the toilet makes it disappear. “Clever toilet.” The main event here is the authors’ annotated cutaways of toilets, showing how the handle pulls the stopper and so forth. Despite the easily understandable text, some concepts remain a bit elusive, though things get clearer and even more interesting when we move on to rural septic tanks, big-city sewer systems, and wastewaster treatment plants. Boldfaced vocabulary words would’ve helped readers refer to the closing glossary (though some intriguing words, like scum and digester, aren’t defined). While not as successful as Castle: How It Works (2012), this is high-interest stuff done in a just-humorous-enough way. Pair with Elizabeth Raum’s The Story behind Toilets (2009) for some extended bathroom reading. - Copyright 2013 Booklist. School Library Journal - 10/01/2013 Gr 2–5—A unique nonfiction offering that deals with human waste in a way that most other books have not. The topic of toilets could go in many directions, and this book addresses a number of them. Readers learn the biology of why people need to use a toilet, how it flushes, and where the waste ends up. Ever wonder how septic systems and sewers work? Look no further. Overall, this is an informative look at a technology that everyone uses and most people take for granted. At every step of the way, Macaulay's engaging ink and watercolor illustrations and cutaway diagrams help to explain the text. This is a challenging read full of sophisticated and specific vocabulary, yet it is one that inquisitive youngsters and science-oriented kids will be drawn to. A boon to those looking to beef up informational offerings to meet Common Core standards.—Trina Bolfing, Westbank Libraries, Austin, TX - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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