(2) K-3 Number Tours for Curious Kids series. Illustrated by Dawn DeVries Sokol. Berne's counts and measures of the cells and organs of the human body illustrate just how remarkable -- and quantifiable -- we are. "Did you know" that we are composed of "30 trillion cells," eight thousand taste buds, and "60,000 miles" of blood vessels? Or that "15 million cells in your body were replaced by new ones in the time it took you to read this sentence"? Numerous other facts about our sensory organs and digestive, skeletal, respiratory, and circulatory systems are equally impressive. The organized layouts include diagrammatic illustrations that effectively portray each system, often within a child-size human body outline, accompanied by text on scraps of lined notebook paper that appear taped onto the pages. The end notes should not be skipped, as they include noteworthy details about the various systems, additional number facts, and an important statement about the degree of certainty of some of the numbers. An interactive section at the very end of the book encourages readers to measure their own bodies and to calculate the volume of their blood, their heart rate, and number of bones in their hands.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) K-3 "A face is a poem / with all the parts put together, / adding up to someone / you love." An observant, imaginative speaker offers musings about faces, from the concrete ("the delicate / scratchy hairs") to the hypothetical ("What if you could change faces every morning, / just to see through someone else's eyes?") to the silly ("Even a potato / has eyes!"). The whimsical text is elevated by its thoughtful placement on the page amid the varied, soft-hued mixed-media illustrations. Rows of human and animal eyes punctuate a list of real and imagined potential eye colors. Luminous eyes, and a nose and mouth made of stars take up a full spread, giving way to faces arranged in an inclusive patchwork and then to one bordered by Picasso-esque "rearranged" visages. In a few illustrations, lines of dialogue emanate from small faces or figures, but the emphasis is always on what's being observed about faces. Fans of Julie Fogliano (recently All the Beating Hearts, rev. 1/23) might especially enjoy this meditation on noticing what's in front of -- and, in this case, part of -- our faces.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 "Do you see our adaptations-- / a tail, / a horn, / a claw, / or beak? / Others aren't so easy to spot. / Can you find them? / Take a peek!" With this introduction, Park invites readers to learn about animal structures that may not be observable until an animal opens its mouth, spreads its limbs, or brushes back its fur or feathers. Page layouts are designed to first hint at the featured adaptation. When the page is turned, an intriguing body part is revealed, accompanied by an accessible explanation of how that part is used by the animal to eat, maneuver, defend, or attack. Crisp, zoomed-in stock photographs of the animals, including pangolins, penguins, owls, and red-eyed tree frogs, clearly show the fine details of their distinctive anatomies. The book ends with a prompt for readers to relate the scientific concept of structure and function to their own bodies: "What's something / we might not see / that makes you, YOU?"

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(1) K-3 Chin follows his acclaimed Your Place in the Universe (rev. 11/20) with an equally stellar exploration of the tiniest components of matter conceptualized by science. The book opens with a brown-skinned child who uses a wheelchair visiting a Southwestern desert. The United States' smallest bird, butterfly, and bee, in turn, alight on her finger, in close-ups that ultimately zoom in to a hair on that finger and put in motion a journey inward to the "building blocks" of biology and physical science. The expedition moves from skin cells to molecules, then to atoms, protons, and elementary particles. Each page-turn, ending in suspenseful sentence breaks ("But the cell nucleus is gigantic compared to... / ...everything else inside the cell"), takes readers to the next step inward. Chin's stunning watercolor and gouache illustrations, colorfully detailed and scientifically accurate, employ perspective to draw readers into observations of life and matter within the smallest possible spaces. The back matter adds details to the text's brief definitions and delineates where the art departs from settled science (in color and spatial relationships). The main text ends philosophically: we are all made of "the same stuff as everything else in the universe," and yet each of us is a "singular person, who can think and feel and discover... / ...the universe within."

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) YA In 1817 Edinburgh (a city famous at the time for medical advancements), the fictional "Roman fever" is ripping through the population. This sickness has already taken Hazel Sinnett's older brother, and she was lucky to survive it herself. Lady Sinnett, Hazel's mother, does nothing but mourn and dote on her younger son, leaving Hazel with plenty of time to study anatomy on her own, in secret, for it would be most improper for a lady to be interested in medicine. When she meets Jack Currer, a "resurrection man" who steals bodies for medical students to practice on, it seems her dream career might be within reach. A boy's disguise, a wager with a leading surgeon, and a conveniently empty estate all point to success, but deceit, murder, and vicious deeds in the darkness soon threaten her future, as does her growing fondness for Jack. The setting holds death around every corner, and both sinister and noble characters people the city. While a significant plot point feels abrupt, the (gory) tale is riveting, and Hazel and Jack are sympathetic characters. Visceral and full of sharp historical details as well as some fantastical elements, this is gothic fun for readers with strong stomachs.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) PS Colorful, bold type; brightly saturated backgrounds; and simple, clean design set the tone for a concept book that doubles as a surprisingly joyous celebration of bones. A friendly-looking hippo faces its own skeleton on the book cover. Inside, each two-spread animal-guessing-game sequence begins by asking "Whose bones?" followed by a page of jumbled bones from the animal in question. On the next spread the bones have resolved into a full skeleton on the verso; and finally on the recto, the ­living animal, drawn in a simple, cartoonish style, is revealed. The concluding pages of the book are where things get complicated, as viewers are presented with an entire double-page spread of jumbled bones, including six different skulls--a hint at how many skeletons are present. Discerning which bones belong together to form each complete skeleton may make children think differently about how scientists learn from materials found in nature. Brief back matter identifies all the skeletons as being from vertebrates and gives facts about some of the animals. Front endpapers consisting of an array of human skeletons with a few ­interspersed oddities resolve on the ­closing endpapers into a parade of children (with a robot and an alien hidden among them). A strong choice for curious young ­scientists.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(3) 4-6 The table of contents gives readers a taste (ew) of what's in store: poop, mucus, spit, gas, and more. Eamer goes beyond the gross hook, however, explaining in an introduction, "Many of these animals actually survive on revolting substances and thrive on gross habits." A lively and accessible page design includes close-up photos, text boxes, and design elements to up the ick-factor. Eamer's detailed text strikes the right balance between intriguingly disgusting facts (hagfish produce slime "by the bucketful in less than a second") and solid information (scientists are looking at using "hagfish slime as a natural replacement for petroleum-based fibers"). "Some gross extras," a glossary, selected sources, and an index conclude this well-organized offering.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by David Catrow. This is a playful, simple look at our bodies' inner workings for young children. A blue-haired, brown-skinned child sits atop a pillow on the book's cover, gazing longingly at a large apple. "I want an apple," the text declares on the first page as the narrator lies with their feet up on an oversized chair. "Smart brain, help me find one." Searching for the desired fruit all around the house--including inside the depths of a worn-out boot and under the dog's floppy ear--the child instructs different body parts to do what they do best. "Sturdy feet, help me stand. Long legs, help me walk." Eventually, an apple is found and feasted upon--with each of the five senses experiencing delight. Catrow's (the Silly Dilly Songs books; Fun in the Sun, rev. 5/15) colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations, all full-bleed double-page spreads, are immediately recognizable with their eccentric details and exaggerated scale (the apple often appears the size of the child's head, for example). The spare text is just enough to introduce concepts of human anatomy to a preschool and early primary audience. The book's final page is an informational drawing of the child pointing out some of the organs used in the apple's journey through the body.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(3) K-3 Murphy introduces young readers to eleven animals with unusual physical attributes, focusing on how the species' appearance helps it survive. Each double-page spread features a striking full-bleed photo and a caption-like sentence: "Bright red lips can help you to stand out from the crowd!" The animal's name and a few salient details appear in a text box: the red‑lipped batfish's "remarkable mouth may help" the creature alert potential mates, "Hey look! I'm over here!" This is an engaging glimpse at some lesser-known species, including the thorn bug, aye-aye, thorny devil, shoebill, and saiga antelope. More information about the animals (including scientific name, geographic distribution, habitat, diet, life span, size, and a "fun fact") are appended, as are lists of recommended books and websites.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Creighton-Pester. Rish pits ten animals and their hard-working behinds against one another in a battle to be "crown[ed] the ultimate King of Keisters." Readers are encouraged to rate the butts on a scale of "Terrific Tushie" to "Boring Backside" and decide which rear rules. A chart introduces each animal, listing genus, length, weight, where the species lives, and "posterior power." Silly cartoon illustrations and a punny text convey a butt load of information about unusual behaviors (herring "communicate through farts") and anatomies (a Sonoran coralsnake's butt looks like its head, which tricks predators). A "Butt Bonus" feature with each entry adds related material. A glossary is appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Inside Out series. This intensive look at horse bodies features large, full-color anatomical drawings on each packed page highlighting successive anatomical systems (via die-cuts): muscular, skeletal, nervous, digestive, etc. Bite-sized text blocks and additional photos and drawings explain how horses' anatomy relates to their health and behavior and offer (sometimes loosely connected) topics like "mini whinnies" (miniature horses) or horse body language. Whether it's explaining how tissues in horses' feet act like supplemental hearts pumping blood back up the leg with each step or pointing out that horses are unable to vomit, this immersive, volume feeds enthusiasts' appetites for all things horse.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) K-3 Encounter series. Illustrated by Harriet Popham. Karl, an Abyssinian ground hornbill, arrived at the Smithsonian's National Zoo with a damaged lower bill, which limited his ability to eat a balanced diet and participate in normal activities. Nargi's lighthearted and informative account shows how zoo staff engineered Karl a 3-D printed beak, each step in the process demonstrating how engineering and science can solve problems in animal conservation. Creative illustrations combine blueprint-like schematics with photos; a downloadable companion app is available. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Scott Campbell. A girl with puffball pigtails contentedly chomps on an apple amid a quirky crowd. The next spread repeats the tableau--but with all the faces (except the girl's) shown as skulls. With snappy writing Thornburgh describes a skull's importance (it's "a car seat for your brain") and its functions, while Campbell packs plenty of humor into his muted watercolors. "Cool Skull Facts" are appended.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(3) PS Clues written in the first person coupled with illustrations of each animal's tail end encourage readers to guess which animal's head will appear on the following page. Among the mostly predictable answers, a couple of twists are included. Canty's delicate watercolor and mixed-media illustrations are in muted tones and are "adapted from nineteenth-century artwork."

Reviewer: Katie Darrin

(4) YA Illustrated by Maria Llovet. YouTube vlogger "Chusita Fashion Fever" writes candidly, approachably, and specifically (she emphasizes "calling things by their name") in this teens' guide to sexuality. Sections cover discovering one's own body, sexual identity, dating, masturbation, and sexual intercourse. A flashy book design includes (semi-blinding) neon-orange backgrounds and accents as well as comics-style panel illustrations. An unabashedly sex-positive resource for teenagers "ready for it." Glos.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jia Liu. In this playful guessing-game book about animal tongues, each recto of the digital illustrations shows a cartoony monkey with a tongue like the animal on the next page: "If you had a tongue like a whip, you might be an... / anteater!" Brief text then describes how that tongue is used. Final pages focus on human tongues. Readers will enjoy looking at tongues--including their own--in a new way.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) YA Sex educator Green expands on her popular YouTube videos with this hefty guide to modern sexuality and relationships. With a slangy but knowledgeable tone, Green expounds on the expected subjects (anatomy, birth control) as well as relevant issues such as gender identity, communication, and consent. Her deft, gentle treatment of delicate topics and commitment to sex-positivity makes this informational book stand out among similar titles for older teens. Websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) K-3 World of Weird Animals series. Illustrated by David DeGrand. This offbeat survey explores several "cute" creatures--from fairy penguins to pom-pom crabs to pangolins--whose endearing features actually help ensure their survival. A spread about each animal features a concise introduction to that creature, a close-up photograph and cartoon illustration, and a sidebar of additional facts. Discussion of "The Science of Cute" and reading comprehension questions conclude this intriguing examination. Glos.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) K-3 Illustrated by T. S. Spookytooth. In this amusing and informative science picture book, children visiting a natural history museum compare human and dinosaur skeletons: the similarities, then the unique structures that identify species such as stegosaurus (back plates) and diplodocus (many vertebrae). The children--humorously illustrated with dino features--imagine what it would be like to fly, stomp, and chomp like a dinosaur. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Hannah Tolson. Eyes can be big or small, bulging or hiding, but they are all designed to work for their owners--whether they help an animal see far away, in two directions at once, or in the dark. In the voice of each animal (goat: "I've got OBLONG eyes"), the text is simple but introduces some interesting vocabulary; the bold, clear illustrations give close-ups of the different eyes.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson