Review by Booklist Review
K^-Gr. 2. Ziefert effectively combines science and silliness in this amusing picture book. Sandwiched between a short introduction and conclusion are five chapters, one on each of the five senses. Generously illustrated in cartoon-style art, the chapters begin with a page of factual information presented in bullet format, followed by a couple of pages of short rhymes, and a page of questions that provide topics for discussion or follow-up activities. Ziefert keeps her young audience in mind as she explains the science, and the rhymes are short, cute, and often fun. Kids will especially like the silly poems: "When you're tired and think you're sweet, / Pull off your socks and smell your feet." Have Joanna Cole's The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses (1999) on hand for children who can handle a more in-depth discussion but don't want to give up the humor. --Lauren Peterson
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"Your nose, skin, ears, eyes and tongue are working all of the time," notes Ziefert in this whimsical, if somewhat uneven, primer, "even when you are not paying attention to them." Each sense gets its own brief chapter, kicked off with a few well-worn observations or factoids to help readers understand both how the senses work and how they fit into a grander scheme. A spread or two of mildly playful rhymed musings follow ("Worms are soft,/ beetles are hard./ Can you find some/ in your yard?"). But it's Haley's (It's a Baby's World) free-wheeling watercolor-and-ink cartooning and frisky handwritten typography that add jolts of humor and energy. For a full-bleed violet-hued painting showing a boy going to bed ("Do you see shadows on the floor?"), the artist's slightly off-kilter perspective, plus an unperturbed canine companion on the floor, offer readers comic relief and reassurance alongside the elongated shadows. Adults reading with a child will appreciate the chapter conclusions, which offer a list of questions that may well spark discussion: "Do you ever get angry and pretend you can't hear people?" or "When you shut your eyes, what happens to your eyeballs?" Given how much series like The Magic School Bus have upped the ante in the science category, older children may not find much meat here. Preschoolers, however, may develop a new awareness thanks to this book's gentle promptings and Haley's inviting illustrations. Ages 4-7. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-This clear, humorous look at the five senses will engage young children. Each short chapter focuses on one of the senses, opening with a simple explanation that uses everyday experiences. In the first chapter, the sense of smell is described with a suggestion that readers hold their noses, let go, and discover what they smell. Cartoonlike drawings show a pizza, some blue cheese, and a boy holding his nose. Tidbits of interesting factual information follow, such as "Deer have a very good sense of smell. They can sniff the wind to smell if dangerous animals are near." In each chapter, the pace and tone of the book then change as a fictional rhyming text exuberantly brings a sense to life, for example, "Wind and waves,/Shells and sand,/The salt air smells/Oh, so grand." Finally, each chapter ends with a series of simple questions designed to encourage children to think about how they use their senses every day. Nicely done.-Leslie Barban, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Aiming to raise the consciousnesses of newly fledged readers about their sensoria, the prolific Ziefert presents a breezy tally of basic facts about smell, touch, taste, hearing, and sight. She intersperses pages of goofy verse ("When you're tired and think you're sweet, / Pull off your socks and smell your feet") and each chapter includes a page of feedback-inducing questions as, "Have you ever touched anything that you'll never touch again?" To go with the text's informal, hand-printed look, Haley scatters a multicultural, multi-age cast of smiling, freely drawn cartoon children across the pages. The author touches on interrelationships between, for instance, smell and taste, and makes it clear that the brain is a sort of silent partner in perception, but she stays at skin level. Point out the "Let's Read and Find Out" series to children who want to probe a bit deeper. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-8)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
