Customer Reviews

Flush!: Treating Wastewater (Carolrhoda Photo Books)

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Kids (and we're all kids) will find the answers to many
questions as to what happens after they flush the toilet.
The author highlights water as a precious commodity; with
clear, snappy writing, she discusses the history of water
treatment including a picture of Mr. Crapper's "Improved
Registered Ornamental Flush-down W.C.," problems (a dramatic
1952 photo of the burning of the polluted Cuyahoga River) and
a variety of modern water treatments.
Step-by-step, the book covers the process of water treatment
from first screen (where lots of children's toys are caught),
through the long process of clarifiers and aeration basins
and more. Illustrations include photos, maps, sketches, old
advertisements. Back matter includes tips on helping your
local wastewater plant ("Caution! What's going down the
drain?), "Fun Flushing Facts" (bet you didn't know that we
flush 4.8 BILLION gallons a year!); a helpful glossary; and
an index.
So FLUSH is going to work with curious children as a read-
aloud for parents/grand-parents; an important addition to
school and public library collections; a fine, specific
resource for students doing research. Great for any reader
from 6 to 106 curious about about what happens after the
FLUSH.
Edith Fine

What happens when you flush the toilet? Kids ask questions like this, sometimes at awkward times. The truth of the matter is, though, that most adults can't really answer this particular question. We are quite happy just to know that it does work, and are quite unhappy when it doesn't!

Karen Mueller Coombs wrote this book after her four year old son flushed a toy down the toilet and wanted to know where it went. Coombs is a former elementary school teacher, and uses that expertise and the natural curiosity of children to explore this subject in a helpful and interesting way, even for adults. Did you know that Americans flush almost 5 billion (yes, that is billion, with a B) gallons of water each day? Water in the system is only about 1/3 from toilets -- the rest comes from clothes washing, which is the second largest water producer, bathing (the third), sinks and garbage disposals.

Coombs combines her writing with good, full color photography from Jerry Boucher, who has worked on many books like this. The text is geared for a late elementary school level, but the kinds of information here is fun for adults, too, because who knows this kind of stuff? How much toothpaste is washed down the drains each day in America? How much toilet paper? It is more than you would think!

So, this isn't the most appetizing subject around, but it is vital information in some respects, and kids with their sometimes bizarre sense of what they need to know find the book interesting, too.

I read this book to my son, and he immediately said it was his favorite book. Most kids have a fasination with toilets and waste- well this book answers all of their questions- like, "Where does the stuff go when you flush the toilet? Kids will love this book and parents will appreciate it. Buy it. It's great!