This audiobook blew me away with how much I enjoyed it! As a teacher, I am always looking for books that will grab the attention of my students, especially non-fiction books. So this one immediately caught my eye. It was packed with facts I had never heard of that made me literally laugh or exclaim out loud as I listened to this while driving to work. I immediately told my students and family some of the facts I learned and recommended this book to them. I would like to also purchase it in print because I imagine it would have interesting artwork to match the quirky and irreverent vibe. People aged 4-84 would enjoy this audiobook, especially if read or listened to in a group setting!

(Thank you to the publisher and LibroFM for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.)

I listened to the audiobook version with my kids, ages 6, 9, and 12. It was amazing! I loved it. My kids loved it. My one ADHD kid paid attention to the entire audiobook - that says a lot. We learned so much too. I have to look to see if they have any more audiobooks like this one.

The narrator, Sura Siu, was excellent. Her voice is fun and engaging. Perfect for kids. Highly recommend it.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the audiobook. #netgalley #historyofstinkytoilets

This book would make a great audiobook for the car on a road trip with children. The facts are amusing and interesting. The sound effects and music add to the experience. I love the choices of information provided. This book will surely make you and your family laugh, but also make them learn something new!

I loved this book! The facts along with the added background noises made this audiobook so enjoyable!

I think this is a great book for people of all ages, not just those who are younger or in the potty-training stage. I learned so much about the history of the toilet, how people have used it over the years, and just random facts that are just fun to pass along.

Do yourself a favor and give this book a listen!

Thank you Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners for allowing me to read and review A Stinky History of Toilets
Flush with Fun Facts and Disgusting Discoveries on NetGalley.

Narrator: Sura Siu

Published: 03/05/24

Stars: 3.5

Hmmm. This is not what I expected. I'm still torn between laughing and vomiting in my mouth. A quick reminder: this is nonfiction.

The audiobook reads like a documentary written for children. Poop is used a multitude of times when explaining why we poop, what it's made up of, the coloring, to what people from the beginning of time used to catch their poop. I learned things I didn't need to know. In addition, uses for poop other that being a bodily function were explained. Again, I would classify this as a need to know basis. The importance of hygiene was explained through the mention of diseases.

Given the structure, I'm not sure who the target buyer is. It is definitely educational.

Although the audio recording of this book was well done, I don't believe audio is the best format.

The collection of history and fun facts were equal parts interesting and silly. I can totally see this being the perfect gift for a curious elementary/middle school student, or for an adult with a potty sense of humor.

A Stinky History of Toilets by Olivia Meikle, et al, and narrated by Sura Siu is a fabulous listen to share with your kiddos in the car or at bedtime.

My oldest son is 8 years old and was talking to his friend about how he hates to read but how he loves audiobooks! This nonfiction history is one of those experiences where it is silly but educational. It poses the question "what will the toilets of the future be like?" For many of us, this invention may be taken for granted despite the many times daily that we sit upon it!

Both my boys and I enjoyed how the book was chunked and the pacing of the many facts. Overall, this book was a hit and I hope others will share this experience with their kiddos, too.

Thank you MacMillan Young Listeners and NetGalley for this audiobook.

This was a short, fun, interesting book. It covered a large span of time and explained some things about the evolution of where we go to the bathroom and what toilets were throughout history. I did not love the music and additional sounds in the audiobook though. I found that to be distracting.

Humorous and informational, my favorite kind of children's books. If they are going to use potty humor, let them learn something in the process. I will definitely be sharing this with my classes.

This is a perfect high interest title for young readers who love a fart joke. My 7-year-old got a kick out of this. Older readers would benefit too, with the elements of science and social studies mixed in.

I think this is more beneficial as a print book than an audiobook, though the sound effects are...a nice touch.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I purchased for my library.

This book was delightfully fun! Was I totally grossed out, but hey I am a dietitian and talk about poop all day, so this book spoke my language.
I had so much fun learning about Toliets, Poop and what happens to all the poop in the world! Like did you know humans produce 200 pyramids worth of poop each year, and each human poops about 25 apples worth of weight per year. There were so many fun facts, definately great conversation starters.
I think kids will really enjoy this book. I have not met a kid outside of maybe Frasier or Niles Crane that doesn't love a good fart/poop joke.
The only reason I held back a star rating would be I would highly suggest purchasing a physical copy or kindle because I would imagine the images/diagrams would enhance the enjoyment.
If you need a fun book to entertain the kids (and yourself) go out and grab a copy on March 5, 2024

Thank you net galley for allowing me the opportunity to review this advanced reader copy!

"A Stinky History of Toilets" by Olivia Meikle and Katie Nelson, with illustrations by Ella Kasperowicz, is a hilarious deep dive into the world of toilets. It's not your typical history book—it's more like a journey through the gross and surprisingly fascinating side of human waste.

I mean, who knew that archaeologists have actually found fossilized Viking turds? Or that the Mongols used catapults to fling poop at their enemies? It's the kind of stuff that makes you say, "Wait, what?"

But "A Stinky History of Toilets" doesn't just focus on the weird and wacky. It also delves into the science behind sanitation and the not-so-pleasant consequences of bad hygiene. You'll learn about diseases like cholera and why some of the earliest toilets had a nasty habit of exploding.

And let's not forget about the illustrations by Ella Kasperowicz. While I listened to the audiobook version, I can only imagine how much they add to the experience. I bet they're both hilarious and informative, just like the rest of the book.

Speaking of which, the audiobook narration and background music really bring the stories to life. It's like sitting around a campfire with friends, swapping gross but strangely fascinating facts about toilets.

Overall, "A Stinky History of Toilets" is a fun and easy read that will leave you both entertained and educated. Whether you're a history buff or just someone who enjoys a good poop joke, this book is sure to make you laugh out loud.

The title sorta says it all but I'll add that this is the perfect book for little factoid-lovers who also happen to have a penchant for potty humor and history. A silly, short read about everything TOILET. Yes, everything. Filled with historical potty humor. Poop, pee, farting, squatting, outhouses -even social GROUP outhouses-, fetal bacterium and parasites, sewage, just to name a few. This book has it all. Prepare to be educated!

Absolutely hilarious, informative, surprisingly emotional, and a little disgusting. Everything we love in a book! We learned so much about how people lived from how they pooped. Kids are going to love this and share the facts over and over again!

As a mom of two boys I can assure you toilets are all the rage right now (I don’t get it either but dum dum yes yes yes as they say) Plus poop is a timeless classical joke as far as children are concerned, so mix that with history, social studies and science? A mother’s dream.
This is the kind of book a homeschool mom doesn’t even have to have a lesson planned for- this book went from a 40 minute read to hours of side conversations of how why and who’s that? When did that happen? Which we all know is a dream! My 5 year old enjoyed this so much- but I think the best part is I can put this away and through the years I think it will spark new conversations as they grow - this book has the unique quality of being silly enough to be captivating to a young reader while still being educational enough to not feel like a waste of time for mom!

A silly, short read about everything TOILET. Yes, everything. Filled with historical potty humour. Poop, pee, farting, squatting, outhouses -even social GROUP outhouses-, fetal bacterium and parasites, sewage, just to name a few. This book has it all. Prepare to be educated!

Narration was perfect. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Appropriate for ages 8+, IMO.

(I received this ALC via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you.)

What child doesn’t love potty humor? Just the word “poop” can cause hysterical laughter among the grade school set. And this book has it all- everything you ever or never wanted to know about human excretion. I had originally figured this was a book for young children, but there is far too much well researched information going back even to earlier civilizations to interest a toddler. Even sewage disposal and water treatment is described. So are toilet habits and rituals among various ethnicities.

I recommend this fast paced, interesting investigation of an important part of the human experience for children starting with the middle years of grade school and older. I learned some facts I was unfamiliar with too regarding customs, cleanliness rituals, and indoor/ outdoor locations deemed suitable for going potty. School librarians might want to have a few copies. I listened to the audio version which was very well done but oh did I wish I had pictures to go along with the words. Publication date is March 5, 2024. I received an ARC audio copy courtesy of NetGalley and Macmillan audio in exchange for this honest review.

Well, we all learned when we were younger that everyone poops, and now we can learn about what we do with all the poop. There are a lot of science books geared towards kids that are meant to be gross, and I'm so here for all of them. I can't get enough of this brand of hilarious humor that also teaches a lot of science. This book is fantastic and the narrator is perfect, it was very enjoyable. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

A Stinky History Of Toilets, flush with fun facts and disgusting discoveries bye Olivia Makel, Katie Nelson and neon squid is a gross but also interesting read or listen in my case. It was only about a half an hour long but packed full of fun facts in history that will not only grows out your friends but may and press them as well. From when the toilet was invented to what we did with the waist before they even talk about all the things they can tell from a persons output all the way back to the Vikings I also learned that it’s becoming more popular for men not to be the only ones who relieve their self standing up. I love history and I think this book proves it lol! In all honesty I was truly entertained I thought the narrator did a great job I do want to say you could definitely tell they were more than one rider on the book because some facts were repeated and I think that’s more a bad editor as opposed to the rider because somethings were said in jest or in passing but it was said more than one time. It didn’t happen often enough that it ruined my listening and I’m still giving the short but fun read five stars. If you love history about anything and everything then you will definitely love this book . I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

A Stinky History of Toilets
By Olivia Meikle; Katie Nelson; Neon Squid
Pub March 5th, 2024

What a fun book on something we all have to do.... poop. I think the facts intertwined with fun background music and really gross facts that kids will eat up!! The history of how toilets progressed over the years and how feces became used as weapons and how feces is bad for people and caused people to get sick. Poop fuel is the best part - who knew? urine fertilizer what a great use of our left overs. I love how the book. I love how the toilet was a way to close of smells - and toilet paper invention - no thanks to sea shells or corn cobs - I need my Northern please.
This book is perfect for your kids who just need to know and learns how the necessity of getting rid of our waste and how inventions of sewer systems, pipes, toilet paper, air fresher, toilets, and the different styles of systems. I love that Crapper made the Crapper!! Of the jokes the boys and girls will make after reading this fun fact filled book!!

Thank you Macmllian Audio and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest opinion on the book