A fun and challenging introduction.
An illustrated adventure through the human digestive system.
The subtitle says it all—no organ or, seemingly, molecule goes unexplored, from the oral cavity all the way to the rectum. The protagonist is a bacterium in the oral cavity named E who accidentally leaves the comfort of its natural habitat (where some 50 billion to 100 billion other bacteria reside) when it’s swallowed along with a bolus (or blob of chewed food—one of many vocabulary words defined in context and in a closing glossary). E meets new bacteria, enzymes, and sentient organs along the way who explain their roles in the digestive tract. “My dominion,” explains H. pylori, “is the thick gastric mucosa, or mucous membrane.” As E moves through the digestive system, a diagram that appears periodically continues to grow. Viola’s text clarifies the concepts with the help of Ristaino’s illustrations, which also provide humor, and much of what is introduced is reiterated at other points in the graphic novel, aiding retention. While Viola works hard to break down information, he still packs a lot in: “Saliva contains an enzyme called amylase. Amylase breaks down starch, a complex carbohydrate, into simple sugars….And some saliva carries an enzyme called lipase that starts breaking down triglycerides.” Magic School Bus graduates ready for a busy, heavy informational load will find this just the ticket. The backmatter also includes brief introductions to the digestive systems of cats, dogs, whales, cows, birds, and cockroaches.
A fun and challenging introduction. (Graphic nonfiction. 9-14)Pub Date: March 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-20404-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Contentwise, an arbitrary assortment…but sure to draw fans of comics, of science, or of both.
Flash, Batman, and other characters from the DC Comics universe tackle supervillains and STEM-related topics and sometimes, both.
Credited to 20 writers and illustrators in various combinations, the 10 episodes invite readers to tag along as Mera and Aquaman visit oceanic zones from epipelagic to hadalpelagic; Supergirl helps a young scholar pick a science-project topic by taking her on a tour of the solar system; and Swamp Thing lends Poison Ivy a hand to describe how DNA works (later joining Swamp Kid to scuttle a climate-altering scheme by Arcane). In other episodes, various costumed creations explain the ins and outs of diverse large- and small-scale phenomena, including electricity, atomic structure, forensic techniques, 3-D printing, and the lactate threshold. Presumably on the supposition that the characters will be more familiar to readers than the science, the minilectures tend to start from simple basics, but the figures are mostly both redrawn to look more childlike than in the comics and identified only in passing. Drawing styles and page designs differ from chapter to chapter but not enough to interrupt overall visual unity and flow—and the cast is sufficiently diverse to include roles for superheroes (and villains) of color like Cyborg, Kid Flash, and the Latina Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz. Appended lists of websites and science-based YouTube channels, plus instructions for homespun activities related to each episode, point inspired STEM-winders toward further discoveries.
Contentwise, an arbitrary assortment…but sure to draw fans of comics, of science, or of both. (Graphic nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77950-382-4
Page Count: 160
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hot on the heels of the well-received Leonardo da Vinci (2005) comes another agreeably chatty entry in the Giants of Science series. Here the pioneering physicist is revealed as undeniably brilliant, but also cantankerous, mean-spirited, paranoid and possibly depressive. Newton’s youth and annus mirabilis receive respectful treatment, the solitude enforced by family estrangement and then the plague seen as critical to the development of his thoughtful, methodical approach. His subsequent squabbles with the rest of the scientific community—he refrained from publishing one treatise until his rival was dead—further support the image of Newton as a scientific lone wolf. Krull’s colloquial treatment sketches Newton’s advances in clearly understandable terms without bogging the text down with detailed explanations. A final chapter on “His Impact” places him squarely in the pantheon of great thinkers, arguing that both his insistence on the scientific method and his theories of physics have informed all subsequent scientific thought. A bibliography, web site and index round out the volume; the lack of detail on the use of sources is regrettable in an otherwise solid offering for middle-grade students. (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-670-05921-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2006
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