Left-handed Getting a grip on handedness

Gr 4--5--This comprehensive nonfiction title explores left-handedness from myriad angles, including sports, genetics, animal behavior, and weird scientific studies. Copious text is highly readable and rich with intriguing details. The content will appeal to a wide range of readers. Aspiring archaeologists will learn about theories of prehistoric handedness based on cave-painting analysis. Budding grammarians will appreciate vocabulary lessons, such as how the word "left" comes from the Old English lyft, meaning "weak or broken." The book's design is attractive and engaging. Fun facts are featured in bite-sized sidebars, such as a quiz that asks readers which hand they use for various activities, like using a spoon or brushing their hair; handedness isn't just about writing. Chan frequently uses illustrations that span two pages or stretch across vertical margins, skillfully drawing the eye across the page. Her sophisticated art employs elegant lines and an earthy palette. Human faces are as expressive as they are simple, and a wide variety of skin tones are displayed. Both men and women are shown at work and play, sewing and playing sports. Animals like dogs, cats, and even snails are rendered with the same care. Back matter includes an index and selected sources. While handedness may be less stigmatizing today, the book demonstrates human adaptation through the ages and promotes an acceptance of our differences. VERDICT A fascinating and beautifully designed exploration of an under-examined topic. A must-have for all collections.--Chance Lee Joyner

Birmingham reaches out to lefties and righties alike in this overview of the science and superstition behind our choices of dominant hands--not to mention eyes, feet, and even teeth. The author opens with a tour through the "history and mystery of left-handedness"--but much of what follows also reports on the often surprising results of recent scientific studies and research. While about 10% of today's people worldwide are lefties, twins and prehistoric cave painters double that figure. Moreover, whales and gorillas are mainly righties, but orangutans are just the opposite. Left-handers tend to develop bulkier right brain structures, but Birmingham refutes myths that they are smarter or more creative or that they die younger. Concluding that how we become one or the other is still a mystery that probably comes down to a complex mixture of chance, cultural pressures, and genetics, she ends by laying down a stimulating suggestion that since so many of us use both hands for different things anyway, it would be more sensible (and less polarizing) to replace the either-or dichotomy with "strong-handed" or, for the truly ambidextrous, "mixed-handed." Humorous asides, hands-on activities, and frequent questions enliven her clearly articulated text. The variety of human hands and more complete figures--even the prehistoric ones--in Chan's illustrations display a broad range of light and dark skin hues. An open-handed array of easily grasped facts and lore. (index, source list)(Informational picture book. 8-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.