The Heart: Learning How Our Blood Circulates (3-D Library of the Human Body)

Discusses the anatomy of the human heart and the functions of the cardiovascular system.

Reviewed with Jennifer Viegas' The Eye.

Gr. 5-9. Books in the new 3-D Library of the Human Body focus closely on anatomy: the structures that make up each part or system and how they work. Each book begins with an interesting preface on a topic related to the whole series, such as "Comparative Anatomy" in Eye and "The Founder of Modern Nursing" (Florence Nightingale) in Heart. The books require attentive reading for full understanding, but the typeface is reader friendly. Eye describes the eye itself, the muscles that move and shape it, and the parts of the nervous system that make sight possible. The book ends with discussion of stereoscopic and color vision, as well as common ocular disorders. Heart examines the mechanics of the double pump that is the human heart, the circulatory system, and the renal and pulmonary systems' ability to clean and oxygenate the blood. The striking illustrations, computer graphics based on scans of actual bodies, are remarkable in their realistic representation and ability to show what the body looks like internally and how specific parts operate. Good labels and diagrams enhance the presentation. Each book ends with a glossary, a bibliography, a list of organizations, and other sources of information. Check the Series Roundup in this issue for more volumes in the series. Carolyn Phelan
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