Product Description

Exceptional nonfiction for children from two of the most trusted names in science education: Seymour Simon and the Smithsonian Institution.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #512641 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-11
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .12" h x 10.02" w x 9.86" l, .37 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Amazon.com
Did you know that your brain (yes, even yours) is roughly the size of a large grapefruit? Award-winning author Seymour Simon clearly and skillfully exposes the many wonders of the brain and nervous system in The Brain: Our Nervous System. Author of more than 150 children's books about science, including The Heart: Our Circulatory System, Muscles: Our Muscular System, and Bones: Our Skeletal System, Simon has a knack for piquing the curiosity of youngsters and clearly communicating scientific facts. The Brain, written for ages 8 and older, is a solid launching pad for further investigation of the organ that makes us who we are. Kids will love learning that our brains grow until we are 7 years old, that our spines have 33 vertebrae, and that our skulls are made of 28 bones. Large, full-color photographs and illustrations show the fascinating, if slightly nauseating, areas of the human brain--a positron computed tomography (PCT) photo, for example, shows the dramatically different levels of visual stimulation to the brain when your eyes are open or closed. Two to three paragraphs of large type per page, plus one full-bleed illustration per spread, help make The Brain just the right amount of information for one grapefruit-sized brain to take in. (Ages 8 and older) --Karin Snelson

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6. In this most recent effort, Simon brings his deft touch to an explanation of the brain and the nervous system. His clear, concise writing style is complemented by stunning color images taken with radiological scanners, such as CAT scans, MRIs, and SEMs (scanning electron microscopes.) Included in his explanation are descriptions of the anatomy and function of the parts of the brain, long and short term memory, neurons, dendrites, and more. The layout is familiar?a page of text facing a full-page photo. There is no glossary or index, but, as usual, the book is so well organized that they won't be missed.?Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 3^-6. The second book in the series that began with The Heart: Our Circulatory System (1996), this book features images of the human brain and nervous system accompanied by lucid text explaining their anatomy and functions. Pictures include computer-generated scans, a diagrammatic painting, and many photographs, some greatly enlarged and color enhanced. The vivid illustrations catch the eye, but the clearly written text provides a fuller understanding of what happens in various parts of the brain and nervous system. The relatively large print and generous use of white space make the text look easy, though the occasional use of white print on black pages is a bit harder to focus on. Simon's way of explaining what's happening in everyday terms enhances the book's readability. Attentive readers will be rewarded with a dramatic portrait of what Simon calls "the control center for everything you do." Carolyn Phelan