Awards

• Commended for Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards (Nonfiction) 2009
• Commended for Parents Choice Awards (Fall) (2008-Up) (Nonfiction) 2008

Overview

In this comprehensive and entertaining resource, David Macaulay reveals the inner workings of the human body as only he could. In order to present this complicated subject in an accurate and entertaining way, he put in years of research. He sat in on anatomy classes, dissections, and even reached inside the rib cages of two cadavers to compare their spleen sizes. He observed numerous surgeries, including a ten-hour procedure where a diseased pancreas was removed, as well as one where a worn-out old knee was replaced by a brand new one. This hands-on investigation gives Macaulay a unique perspective to lead his readers on a visual journey through the workings of the human body. The seven sections within the book take us from the cells that form our foundation to the individual systems they build. Each beautifully illustrated spread details different aspects of our complex structure, explaining the function of each and offering up-close glimpses, unique cross-sections and perspectives, and even a little humor along the way. This one-of-a-kind book can serve as a reference for children, families, teachers, and anyone who has questions about how his or her body works. When readers see how David Macaulay builds a body and explains the way it works, they will come away with a new appreciation of the amazing world inside them.

Full Product Details

9780618233786

Table of Contents

Reviews

The powerful, illuminating images will ignite curiosity and inspire awe over the magnificent connections that make up the human body. -- Booklist, boxed review<p> The wonder that is David Macaulay is at it again . . . His text is irreverent . . . His drawing of a hand pulling the left eye out of its socket is just gross enough to engage young readers into a description of seeing . . . The work of this Caldecott medal winner and recipient of the McArthur grant is always a must-have in any library. -- VOYA (5Q4P), highlighted review<p> In this highly detailed encyclopedic volume of every part of our bodies, every system of the body is explained and illustrated in very kid-friendly lingo and art. Fascinating and well worth the price tag. -- Winston Salem Journal <p> To his many fans, David Macaulay is nothing less than America's Explainer-in-Chief --the Providence Journal<p>.,. teems with double-page spreads that blend scientific accuracy with Macaulay's trademark whimsy. -- Seattle Post-Intelligencer<p> [takes] readers on a tour of ourselves--from the atoms that make us up to the brain that governs it all. --U.S. News & World Report<p> You don't have to be a brain surgeon to understand this book, but it may very well inspire a few young people to become one someday. --PlanetEsme.com<p> In this highly detailed encyclopedic volume of every part of our bodies, every system of the body is explained and illustrated in very kid-friendly lingo and art. Fascinating and well worth the price tag. -- Winston Salem Journal <p> The book is astonishingly comprehensive, beginning with the structure of a cell, traveling through various systems (e.g., respiratory, digestive, etc.) and ending withchildbirth. Followers of Macaulay will expect some wit, and it is evident, not just in captions but in throwaways, as in an explanation of taste that acknowledges that smell is the senior partner . . . motivated teens will feel they've gone to premed heaven. -- Publishers Weekly, starred review<p> In this comprehensive and entertaining resource, best-selling author David Macaulay illuminates the mysteries of the human body as only he could. -- Book Page

The wonder that is David Macaulay is at it again . . . His text is irreverent . . . His drawing of a hand pulling the left eye out of its socket is just gross enough to engage young readers into a description of seeing . . . The work of this Caldecott medal winner and recipient of the McArthur grant is always a must-have in any library. --VOYA (5Q4P), highlighted review -- (10/01/2008) The powerful, illuminating images will ignite curiosity and inspire awe over the magnificent connections that make up the human body. --Booklist, boxed review The wonder that is David Macaulay is at it again . . . His text is irreverent . . . His drawing of a hand pulling the left eye out of its socket is just gross enough to engage young readers into a description of seeing . . . The work of this Caldecott medal winner and recipient of the McArthur grant is always a must-have in any library. --VOYA (5Q4P), highlighted review In this highly detailed encyclopedic volume of every part of our bodies, every system of the body is explained and illustrated in very kid-friendly lingo and art. Fascinating and well worth the price tag. --Winston Salem Journal To his many fans, David Macaulay is nothing less than America's Explainer-in-Chief --the Providence Journal .. .teems with double-page spreads that blend scientific accuracy with Macaulay's trademark whimsy. -- Seattle Post-Intelligencer [takes] readers on a tour of ourselves--from the atoms that make us up to the brain that governs it all. --U.S. News & World Report You don't have to be a brain surgeon to understand this book, but it may very well inspire a few young people to become one someday. --PlanetEsme.com In this highly detailed encyclopedic volume of every part of our bodies, every system of the body is explained and illustrated in very kid-friendly lingo and art. Fascinating and well worth the price tag. --Winston Salem Journal The book is astonishingly comprehensive, beginning with the structure of a cell, traveling through various systems (e.g., respiratory, digestive, etc.) and ending with childbirth. Followers of Macaulay will expect some wit, and it is evident, not just in captions but in throwaways, as in an explanation of taste that acknowledges that smell is the senior partner . . . motivated teens will feel they've gone to premed heaven. --Publishers Weekly, starred review In this comprehensive and entertaining resource, best-selling author David Macaulay illuminates the mysteries of the human body as only he could. --Book Page

In the same style as The Way Things Work (1988), lively, vivid colored-pencil illustrations accompany a very detailed text explaining the design and function of the human body. Beginning at the atomic level and describing the structure and workings of human cells with an amount of information that nearly rivals high-school biology books, Macaulay and Walker then move on to DNA, tissue types, organs and organ systems, immune response, movement and reproduction. The intricacy and wonder of the human body is celebrated, but this is never an easy read. The lighthearted illustrations featuring speech balloons, tiny workers and a variety of other humorous touches will attract a fairly young age group, but the amount and complexity of the written information may daunt all but the most ardent enthusiasts. This is without doubt a browsing volume; the amusing but general chapter headings - Air Traffic Control - makes location of topics a bit of a challenge. Though it's an unlikely choice for a little light reading, the accuracy, detail and depth of information make this an essential addition to most collections. (glossary, index, appendix) (Nonfiction. 12 & up) (Kirkus Reviews)

Author Information

David Macaulay is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay has garnered numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, and the Washington Post-Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award. In 2006, he was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, given ""to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations."" Superb design, magnificent illustrations, and clearly presented information distinguish all of his books. David Macaulay lives with his family in Vermont.

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