THE HOW AND WOW OF THE HUMAN BODY

An effervescent tour of the preteen “walking, talking, barfing, breathing, pooping body of wow!”

The hosts of NPR podcast Wow in the World lose none of their energy or comic timing in reeling off a highlights-style swing through pubescent anatomy from brain (“it’s what makes up your mind”) to butt. Though the section on the reproductive system is conspicuously sparse on specifics, care is taken to discuss the complexity of sexual identity, and a Let’s Play Puberty! board game features the appearance of “lumps” on throats and chests. Any readers yearning for poop on poop, not to mention boogers (and “eye boogers”), earwax, mucus, spit, intestinal gas, body odors, and blood, will be well served, though. The instructions for creating dental cavities and other dubious projects are justly labeled “Don’t try this at home!” Amid the laffs the authors deliver a solid load of accurate basic information about organs and body systems. Teagle follows suit with cartoon scenes of animated body parts and of the White authors with a racially diverse cast of other humans (some who use wheelchairs) all looking dismayed or excited and often associated with splatters of green gas or goo. Maris Wicks’ unsurpassed Human Body Theater (2015) caps a select but audience-friendly reading list at the end, next to a set of QR codes leading to relevant episodes of the podcast.

A clever, high-energy crowd pleaser well founded in facts—the grosser the better.