Evidence!: How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera by Deborah Hopkinson, Nik Henderson
ISBN: 0593426819
Genres: Mystery, Non-Fiction, Suspense
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

A thrilling non-fiction picture book on the start of epidemiology! From Deborah Hopkinson and Nik Henderson’s pencil and paper illustrations is, Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera. In the first few pages, Hopkinson accurately describes London in 1854; “Factories spew yellow smoke. Piles of horse dung line the streets. Sewage and human waste fill cesspools in yards and cellars.” More pages continue to describe the squalor living conditions at the time, and then; cholera breaks out.

Doctors everywhere blame the dirty air, but we are introduced to another doctor who thinks otherwise. Dr. John Snow is on the hunt for clues and we follow him throughout the rest of the book as he takes on the role as a medical detective. He uses maps and gathers facts to prove that cholera is spread by drinking water out of the Broad Street water pump. After going door-to-door, Dr. Snow has found evidence to support his theory. “September 8, 1854–the handle is removed from the Broad Street pump. It’s a milestone in science , a shining moment in the long fight against epidemics. And it all came down to evidence.”

Kids will LOVE the stinky descriptions of London and the thrill of  the hunt to find what is causing cholera. There are resources in the end papers explaining more about the Broad Street pump and epidemiology. There is a whole list of other infectious diseases and their on histories. Recommended for all library collections. Ages 4-8.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath