This fun graphic novel by the award-winning Don Brown will spark conversations among children, as it covers the history of waste management. As part of the Big Ideas That Changed the World series, this colorful book is suitable for the classroom and includes a timeline, notes, and bibliography. In 1895, an engineer named George Waring was appointed the first street cleaning commissioner of New York City. His mission? To make a city of millions of people vibrant. "Keep It Clean!" explores the concept of public health, including topics such as personal hygiene, sewage systems, and water treatment.

The award-winning author-illustrator Don Brown takes us on a journey through history and around the world, from ancient Greek, Roman, and Aztec aqueducts and the advent of the bathroom (including public bath ceremonies in Japan and religious rituals at Machu Picchu) to the invention of soap in the Middle East and the use of the first toilet in space.

Brown documents historical accidents—such as rivers filled with human waste and the famous Queen Elizabeth I's attic—as well as remarkable scientific discoveries related to microorganisms (germs) and diseases. He also highlights how social classes were divided not only by wealth and culture but also by smell, while also focusing on modern health crises. Today, nearly two billion people worldwide live without clean water, and about 3.6 billion people—almost half of the global population—live without proper sanitation facilities.

This nonfiction graphic novel presents in a simple and child-friendly way why "keeping clean" is vital, whether for a city, a community, a house, or an individual.

The Big Ideas That Changed the World series celebrates the rich succession of ideas that ultimately changed the world. Humor, drama, and art come together to tell the story of events, discoveries, and inventions that led people to find a big idea and make it happen.