The Adventures of Fatberg
In 2013 I learned about the phenomenon of Fatbergs, which are giant, congealed lumps of cooking fat and wet wipes clogging the world’s sewers. The subject was grotesque but fascinating! While Fatbergs are notorious for wrecking municipal infrastructure, they also have potential as renewable energy sources.
I imagined Fatbergs as friendly, misunderstood creatures and began sketching out a character and narrative. This evolved into writing, illustrating and self-publishing a children’s picture book called The Adventures of Fatberg. The story follows a Fatberg driven out of the sewers into the streets of London, where he attempts to fit in with humans. Fatberg learns that no matter what the world says about him, he can still make a big difference!
The Fatberg character has become well-known in the wastewater community since the book’s release, appearing in custom projects for SwiftComply, the City of Santa Ana and Water Canada Magazine.
What readers are saying on Amazon:
“A poignant story about an unlikely hero...”
“Charming and wonderfully-illustrated.”
“... my kids LOVED the story and the artwork.”
“A fun book with fun illustrations.”
“Mr. Nathan T. Wright is a luminary when it comes to combining the idea of industrial infrastructure byproducts with a story that will delight children. This is a playful and endearing reminder that all - no matter who you are or where you come from - can make a difference on this planet. The illustrations are beautiful.”
“What sounds a bit disgusting at first (fatbergs...yuck) turns out to be a wonderfully-illustrated and charming storybook. Bonus points for the appearance of a corgi! Looking forward to more from Mr. Wright.”
“I wasn’t so sure about the subject myself, but my kids LOVED the story and the artwork. Wright has a unique flair for combining the weird and wonderful with a narrative kids can relate to. Bravo.”
“I have three kids between the ages of 6 and 10 and they all three enjoyed this book. It was fun to talk about actual Fatbergs and Google pictures of what they looked like. Nathan did a great job with this book!”