Review by Booklist Review
With its square format, striking illustrations, and bold black-on-white or white-on-black type, this book resembles Simon's earlier volumes on systems of the body such as Guts: Our Digestive System (2005) and The Brain: Our Nervous System (1997). In fact, those books are the source of some material that appears here, sometimes rewritten, sometimes reworded, and sometimes simply repeated. Just as text from those books has been pared down to fit the more limited space devoted to each subject in the new one, some of the related illustrations have been omitted. However, the book includes eye-catching new images and entirely new, clearly written sections of text discussing the integumentary system (skin, hair, nails), the urinary and excretory systems, the lymphatic system, and the reproductive system. A nice addition is the appended guide to the illustrations, though captions near the pictures and labeling on diagrams would have been even more useful to children. Still, a visually striking guide to the human body.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Simon has been cruising through the human body for a number of years, and here he pulls all the pieces together and adds a bit to the mix as he presents a cool look at the human interior. Lavishly illustrated with large computer-colored X-rays, MRI scans, computer artwork, and diagrams, the book is an eye-catcher. The text is clear and informative. While human reproduction is mentioned, as is fetal development, the photos provided depict a colored SEM micrograph of a human egg and sperm, a close-up SEM micrograph of a sperm fertilizing an egg, and a six-week-old human fetus floating in amniotic fluid. Simpler than Richard Walker's ever-so-detailed Encyclopedia of the Human Body (DK, 2002) and a nice introduction to Simon's earlier, more specific works, this book is handsome and informative.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY (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 Horn Book Review
(Intermediate) In this survey of the twelve body systems and the senses, Simon's explanations are complemented by captivating full-page false-color images, photomicrographs, and diagrams of the interior of the human body. Although there are only a few pages dedicated to the basics of each system, Simon works his usual magic to keep the narrative flowing smoothly yet rigorously through descriptions of organs, tissues, and their functions. Each section highlights various facts about the body that are perfectly attuned to the ways in which young readers are both fascinated and a bit grossed out by what's inside us (while the use of false color in the photographs keeps them safe viewing for even the most squeamish). In lieu of captions, a helpful appended guide to the images explains what each is and how it was produced. A glossary and an index are included.From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The latest in Simon's seemingly endless series of nonfiction books published in conjunction with the Smithsonian, this one fares better than most, perhaps because the subject matter is large and fascinating. The work covers the 12 major systems of the body (skeletal, muscular, etc.), devoting a few pages to each. Rounding out the volume, the author briefly covers genetics, the five senses and human growth and development. The picturesmost of them scanning electron microscope images or X-rays of actual body partsare brilliant, but lack accompanying captions, which make them hard to understand (explanations of the images appear after the index). A clear sense of organization, some subheadings and fewer "gee-whiz" graphics would improve the book, but for an overview it isn't bad. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 6-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
