Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera

“Welcome to Broad Street, in hot, stinky old London,” begins this enthralling 1854-set work focused on epidemiology, smartly pitched for younger audiences as an intriguing medical mystery. With urgent language and expressionistic drawings rendered in graphite and charcoal, and colored digitally, Hopkinson (Cinderella and a Mouse Called Fred) and Henderson (Trucks on Trucks) immerse readers in a close city neighborhood where deadly cholera has broken out: “Piles of horse dung line the streets. Sewage and human waste fill cesspools in yards and cellars.” Dr. John Snow (1813–1858) has long investigated cholera—he’s been “chasing it for years”and has a theory about the outbreak’s cause. That theory, however, flies in the face of prevailing medical and popular wisdom, which holds that cholera is airborne. In spreads that vividly evoke Snow’s relentless search across the city, he clearly becomes a “medical detective,” mapping cases and interviewing residents. When his work results in the handle being removed from the contaminated Broad Street pump, it’s a radiant, reverential moment, as befits “a milestone in science, a shining moment in the long fight against epidemics.” Back matter provides further context. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Chad W. Beckerman, CAT Agency. (Aug.)