In Padaram, there are no toilets. Women and girls must wait for the cloak of darkness before they can do their business in private in an open field. Without toilets, girls like Latika must drop out of school when they start menstruating. Women like Latika's ammamma lay in bed with fever from bites from the scorpions they are unable to detect in the darkness. Girls refuse to drink water for fear of having to hold their urine for hours. Some lose children due to diseases from unhygienic conditions. When a government official arrives to help the village, the women in Padaram have an opportunity to seek change, but can Latika find the courage to speak? With projects like the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge, posed by Bill Gates, the issue of access to proper sanitation has only recently hit the mainstream. But did you know that 4.2 billion people on the planet have no toilets at home? Readers will learn more facts like this in the back matter of Poulin's novel in verse, including the connection between toilets and health, safety, and education. Zohra, who used to accompany her father on projects concerning women's health in rural areas for UNICEF India, has created illustrations in soft pastel hues that are electric and blur at the edges. Supplemented by suggestions for further reading, this enriches broader discussions of world issues.

In this powerful verse novel, Latika loves school, but she knows that when she turns twelve she will be forced to quit. The reason? Toilets. In her rural Indian village there are no toilets; women and girls must relieve themselves in fields after dark to avoid "shame." As she approaches puberty, she wants to "stop time / to stay a little girl" so she can continue her education without the complication of menstruation. When an engineer from the city installs a water pump for the village, Latika breaks the taboo and tells him about how the issue affects women's health and girls' access to education. Latika gives voice to something unspeakable and risks censure, but her bravery forces change and lasting improvement. She no longer wishes to "bury the moon" for the light it shines onto a supposedly shameful act but learns instead to view its light as friendly and useful. Emotive illustrations throughout employ deep, rich black and blue hues with bold accents in pinks and purples, accentuating the moonlight. Short poems allow for a powerful exploration of a variety of social issues, all linked to access to toilets and yoking together contradictory elements (fragile but strong; fearful but brave). An appended author's note explains that toilet access is a global problem affecting over four billion people. Julie Hakim Azzam November/December 2021 p.113(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.