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CM . . . .
Volume V Number 18 . . . . May 7, 1999
excerpt: Steve's ears get bigger by about 0.08 in (2 mm) in every nine years, which is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) every 30 years. If Methuselah really had lived to be 969 years old (as the Bible reports), his ears would have been bigger than his head, and he could have used his earlobes as a hat! 
An in-depth exploration of the human body is undertaken by two fictional tour guides-- the
extraordinary exploration squad-- who both inform and entertain readers with important and
interesting facts as they investigate the body's labyrinth of veins, arteries and organs. The body
in question is that of Stephen Biesty, himself, hence the references to "Steve's skin", "Steve's
nose", etc. Twelve chapters document the exploration squad's adventure and cover such topics as
the brain, skin and muscles, and the skeleton. In order to help readers in understanding how the
body works, Platt uses the analogy of a gigantic warehouse or factory staffed by uniformed teams
of workers-- the home team, the muscle team, the nerve team, the blood team, the hormone team
and the immune team. These teams, whose uniforms are rendered in different colours to
distinguish them from one another, appear throughout the book. Their purpose is to explain how
they keep the body functioning properly and what happens if they don't do their jobs. With the
exception of the chapter on the mouth and "gut", which has a large fold-out section, a
double-page spread is devoted to each body system. The differences between male and female
organs and systems are described in small information boxes.
Platt delivers on his promise to give readers a tour of the human body, for his text reads like a tour guide commentary, infused with humour and trivia. There is abundant information, suitable for research projects, but, fair warning-- far too much information to digest at one sitting. Text is quite small and is written, in most cases, in fairly short sentences in kid-friendly language (though in a scientific subject like this one, some difficult vocabulary is to be expected). An index is also provided. Biesty's trademark illustrations, rendered, wherever possible, in the actual colours of the body parts they depict, show an incredible amount of intricate detail. On their own, they exemplify "busy-ness" (too much for some readers); combined with the text, they border on the overwhelming. Fans of Biesty's artistic style will, no doubt, welcome this book. Most readers, however, will feel visually bombarded. Recommended with Reservations. Gail Hamilton is a teacher-librarian at Bird's Hill School in East St. Paul, Manitoba.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association.
Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice
is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without
permission.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - MAY 7,
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