Human Body Factory - Softcover

Green, Dan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0753437619 ISBN 13: 9780753437612

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Synopsis

Human anatomy has never been as entertaining as this look at a day in the busy human body factory. From the CEO sending out orders in the brain to "waste" being sorted and delivered out of the body at the other end, the busy workers who keep everything running smoothly introduce each ‘department.’ All the major systems are covered, and the ingenious illustrations are packed with humorous details that kids will love to pore over. All of this amazing artwork is backed up with fascinating facts and clear explanations of the body’s essential processes. Whether it’s toxic signs and workers wearing biohazard suits in the large intestine, lab workers in dinghies mixing gastric juices in the stomach with a giant whisk, or park keepers on the skin keeping things clean among glades of gently swaying hairs and sweat-gland sprinklers, we promise that kids will never think about their bodies in the same way again.

About this title

About the Author

Dan Green, who studied Geology at Cambridge University, is an experienced freelance editor and science writer. He has authored many of the books in the Basher Science series.  Edmond Davis studied design in the 1980s and since then, he has embarked on a career as an illustrator. Passionate about technical drawing and the science-fiction subgenre ‘steam punk’, Edmond has worked for a variety of clients, including Penguin and British Gas.

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-This fantastical look at the inner workings of bodies covers a lot of material, including systems, organs, and processes, all using a factory as a metaphor. Each spread, encased in a yellow-and-gray-striped ribbon reminiscent of a construction zone, represents a department. An inset locates the organ or system within a body outline and introduces it. In bright colors, a cross-section of the part(s) under scrutiny is shown with dozens of frenetic workers, pieces of machinery, and equipment presented in small vignettes that illustrate its various functions and features. Numerous speech and thought bubbles build in humor and further details. Labels and occasional diagrams help orient readers. The spreads begin with the brain and proceed in a relatively top-to-bottom order ending with "Reproduction" or the "New Model Planning Unit" and the somewhat incongruous "Pregnancy" or "New Model Production" department. Each panel stands alone, missing opportunities for continuity, although references to other pages are given where appropriate. The busyness of the illustrations mimics the "Where's Waldo" (Candlewick) style and requires close viewing as does the inclusion of Clatterbones, a skeleton that readers are encouraged to locate in many of the spreads. While the frenzy on the pages might not help illuminate the inner workings of the human body, readers will enjoy browsing this lively title.-Carol S. Surges, Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WIα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0753437619
• ISBN 13: 9780753437612
• Binding: Paperback