Review by Booklist Review
What happens when a person breathes, coughs, sneezes, or hiccups? Simon provides the answers in his latest science education book, written under the Smithsonian's imprimatur. Although this book isn't quite as detailed as some of the author's previous texts about the human body, there's still plenty of information for elementary-school readers, and as always, Simon brings the science close without condescension. Beginning with what happens when a person inhales, he goes on to discuss the parts of the respiratory system and how they work, with more particulars sometimes provided in the glossary. Each attractive,\b double-page spread\b features one page of spaciously laid out, informative text opposite a full-page, color illustration. The striking images include photos, diagrams, and color-enhanced X-rays of the nasal cavity, the trachea, the heart and major blood vessels, and more. The scary view of a smoker's damaged lungs, which appears opposite facts about serious respiratory problems, may inspire classroom discussion. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-This straightforward overview of the respiratory system follows the journey of a breath through the body. Color diagrams, X-rays, and photos provide visual support, though these are not always as well labeled as one would hope (a diagram of the nasal cavity is the worst offender). The book also covers related issues such as coughing, sneezing, hiccups, and respiratory problems and diseases. The writing is concise and full of clear examples meaningful to kids, and the glossary, index, and suggestions for further reading extend the book's usefulness. More detailed than Suzanne LeVert's The Lungs (Benchmark, 2001) and geared to an older audience than Pamela Hill Nettleton's outstanding Breathe In, Breathe Out: Learning about Your Lungs (Picture Window, 2004), this is an excellent resource for reports.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Simon details the intricacies of drawing a breath, oxygen's path through the body, and diseases and other complications that can occur in the lungs. Full-page color illustrations, diagrams, and bronchoscopic and radiographic images alternate with text-heavy pages that clearly demonstrate familiar phenomena like coughs and hiccups, as well as more complex concepts such as lung capacity. Websites. Glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In straightforward text, a veteran science writer describes the system that makes it possible to inhale and exhale more than 20,000 times a day. Beginning with a quick explanation of the air around us, Simon goes on to describe its journey through your nose, pharynx, trachea and bronchi, and the subsequent movement of its oxygen into the blood. Other topics include lung movement, yawns, snores and sneezes, as well as respiratory problems and their detection. While the text is clear and the information appropriate, middle-grade readers may find some illustrations--brightly colored diagrams, computer-enhanced X-rays and other images--confusing. Not all full-page images are labeled; only a careful look at the index will reveal the point. In one, opposite the page explaining the difference in left and right lung sizes, only the left lung is visible in most lights. The "damaged lungs of a smoker" are horrific, but there is no similar image for comparison. Part of a long-standing and popular science series, however, this will be welcome in classrooms. (index, glossary, suggested reading, websites) (Nonfiction. 8-11) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
