Science

Human Body Theater by Maris Wicks

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by First Second 

Summary:  In the first page of this graphic book, a skeleton appears on stage and begins narrating a journey through the human body.  In eleven chapters, she covers ten different systems plus the senses.  All kinds of organisms are given faces and personalities, including many different types of cells, bacteria, and viruses.  Delicate topics such as pooping, puberty, and reproduction are handled humorously yet informatively.  In the final act, the skeleton pulls on her muscle suit, skin suit, and clothes to become a bit more human.  Includes an extensive glossary and a brief bibliography.  Ages 10-14.

Pros:  An extremely thorough yet entertaining introduction to the human body.  A lot more fun than a biology textbook.  The illustrations are clever and the text is informative and engaging.

Cons:  The amount of material presented may make a cover-to-cover reading a bit daunting.

We Dig Worms! By Kevin McCloskey

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Published by TOON Books

 Summary:  Did you know that the longest worm (the Australian Gippsland Worm) grows to be ten feet long?  That there can be millions of earthworms living in a small park?  The lowly worm gets some respect in this early reader.  Billed as a cartoon by the publisher, the pages are all done on brown paper bags; regular text is supplemented with frequent cartoon bubbles.  Readers will gain a new respect for worms and the important role they play in keeping soil rich and fertile.  Ages 4-8.

Pros:  This book, which resembles a brown paper lunch bag in size, shape, and color, is a fun and light introduction to an often overlooked animal that can be found in your own backyard.

Cons:  The intended audience of beginning readers may be challenged by such words as setae and clitellum.

Spidermania: Friends on the Web by Alexandra Siy, photomicrographs by Dennis Kunkel

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Published by Holiday House

Summary: The cover of this book will undoubtedly scare off some potential readers. And that’s kind of the point of this book…to debunk the myths that spiders are scary and dangerous.  Sure they have fangs and venom, but most of them are pretty harmless to humans and they do some darn interesting things, the most famous of which is spinning amazing webs from a material that is strong, tough, flexible, lightweight, hypoallergenic, and totally biodegradable.  Ten unusual spiders are profiled, all with amazing photomicrographs of various parts of the spiders that have been brilliantly colored to make them stand out.  Back matter includes information on how to identify spiders, additional resources, and a pretty extensive glossary and index.  Grades 3-6.

Pros:  There’s a lot of great information that might make an arachnophobia sufferer see spiders in a much more positive light.  The pictures are super cool; spider fans will enjoy seeing the amazing details of various arachnid body parts.

Cons:  I would have liked to learn more about the photography process used.  I was unfamiliar with the word “photomicrograph” and finally found a brief paragraph about this process under the copyright information.  It didn’t completely satisfy my curiosity, though, and made no mention of the brilliant colors used.

Wrap-Up Wednesday: Animal Books

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Kids of all ages are endlessly fascinated by animals.  Animal books are often the first informational text children read.  Here are some of the best so far this year:

Trapped! A Whale’s Rescue by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Wendell Minor. Published by Charlesbridge.

The exciting true story of a humpback whale rescue off the coast of California.  Beautifully illustrated.

The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrated by Gennady Spirin.  Published by Henry Holt and Company.

Which ocean animal is the most amazing?  A variety of creatures make compelling arguments about why they deserve the honor.

Hippos Are Huge by Jonathan London, illustrated by Matthew Trueman.  Published by Candlewick.

Hippos ARE huge…and dangerous.  In fact, they’re the most dangerous animal in Africa.  This book is jam packed with fascinating information about them, with illustrations kids will love.

Emu by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Grahame Byrne.  Published by Candlewick.Another fascinating Australian animal book from the author/illustrator team that brought you last year’s Big Red Kangaroo.

My Leaf Book by Monica Wellington

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Published by Dial Books for Young Readers 

Summary: It’s autumn, and the narrator fills up her leaf book with specimens she finds around her. She sees leaves that look like fans, stars, and hearts. Some are red, some orange, yellow, or violet. Pages alternate between bright trees with simple shapes on them and close-ups of more accurate renditions of the different types of leaves; these pages have a fact or two about trees and leaves. The last page gives directions for leaf prints and leaf rubbings. Ages 3-7.

Pros: A good introduction to different types of leaves. Young kids will be inspired to get outside and see if they can find leaves that match the ones in the illustrations.

Cons: Yet another tiny font, this time for the facts about leaves. And, editors, yellow print on an orange background?  No.

Fur, Fins, and Feathers: Abraham Dee Bartlett and the Invention of the Modern Zoo by Cassandre Maxwell

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Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers 

Summary: When Abraham Dee Bartlett was growing up in the early 1800’s, there were no zoos. The closest thing was menageries where animals were kept in small cages for people to come and see. Abraham loved animals and read all that he could about them as a boy and a young man. His vast knowledge of wild animals eventually caught the attention of the London Zoological Society, and he was appointed superintendent of the new London Zoo. During his 38-year tenure there, he revolutionized the care of wild animals. He built larger enclosures for animals, learned how to feed them a healthy diet, and made labels so visitors could learn more about what they were seeing. By empathizing with the wild animals in his charge, he learned to keep them healthy and happy, and developed animal care methods that are used by zoos and veterinarians today. A timeline, author’s note, and brief bibliography are included. Grades 1-4.

Pros: Not only is this an interesting and inspiring story of a little-known man, but the cut paper collage illustrations are gorgeous. Readers will want to take their time with this book, enjoying both the text and the richly detailed pictures.

Cons: The final Doctor Dolittle-like illustration of Abraham surrounded by smiling animals is probably not entirely realistic.

I See A Pattern Here by Bruce Goldstone

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Published by Henry Holt and Co. 

Summary: Patterns can be made in many different ways. This book looks at some of them, such as sliding, rotating, flipping, squishing, and stretching. Photos show examples of different types of patterns occurring both in nature and works of art from around the world. “MathSpeak” boxes give mathematical terms for the different ways patterns are created. The last two pages show ways to create patterns of your own. Grades K-3.

Pros: An excellent introduction to patterns that could be used for both math and art. The pages are appealing with plenty of white space and colorful photos.

Cons: Although patterns seem cool and fun, I never really understood why they were emphasized quite so much in the elementary math curriculum.

How to Swallow a Pig: Step-by-Step Advice from the Animal Kingdom by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

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Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

Summary: Each page gives an illustrated how-to guide for different animals and the unusual things they do: how to trap fish like a humpback whale, how to crack a nut like a crow, how to woo a ewe like a mountain sheep. There are 4-6 steps for each process, all featuring lots of interesting animal information with a touch of humor. The last three pages include thumbnail pictures and further information on each animal, plus a bibliography. Grades 1-4.

Pros: Steve Jenkins and Robin Page team up yet again for another fascinating look at the animal kingdom. Lots of gross, funny, and interesting facts are illustrated with the usual detailed cut paper illustrations. This would make a good mentor text for teaching procedural writing.

Cons: The format of this book makes it a bit difficult to read cover to cover. Unlike the pig of the title, it is probably best digested in small chunks.

Emu by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

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Published by Candlewick

Summary: After a female emu helps build a nest and lays eggs, her responsibilities are done. It’s up to the male to sit on the eggs for eight weeks, not even leaving to eat or drink, then to take care of the young hatchlings for over a year until they are ready to look for mates of their own. The Australian author-illustrator team that produced last year’s Red Kangaroo follows the life of a male emu as he waits on the nest, welcomes the new babies, and teaches them to fend for themselves. The text is written in two different fonts; one could be read aloud while the other gives additional related facts and information. A brief author’s note and index are included at the end. Grades K-3.

Pros: Sure “emu” is a good Scrabble or Boggle word, but there’s lots more to the world’s second largest bird.  One of the lesser-known Australian animals, it is nonetheless fascinating, and Emu has a lot of information for a picture book. The illustrations are unusual but striking and complement the text well.

Cons: I wasn’t crazy about the color pallet used for the illustrations.

Woodpecker Wham! by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins

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Published by Henry Holt and Company

Summary: Brief rhyming text describes what woodpeckers do, including eating, grooming, nest building, and reproducing. Colorful cut-paper illustrations provide detailed pictures of different types of woodpeckers. The final seven pages contain much more information about the topics covered in the main part of the book, including how to find woodpeckers and additional resources for learning more. Preschool-Grade 3.

Pros: Award-winning writer April Pulley Sayre teams up with the equally-decorated Steve Jenkins to produce an eye-catching and informative picture book. The additional information at the end is complete enough for a beginning research report.

Cons: Regular readers of this blog may begin to weary of my incessant praise of Steve Jenkins’ amazing illustrations.