Human Body

Gr 2-4–Author-illustrator Olstein offers specific but brief facts about the human body accompanied by quirky and appealing artwork. The page that explains that a burp has been recorded at 109.9 decibels (louder than a jet engine) features a stylized face with a wide-open mouth and a surprised pilot flying overhead. The splotchy prints are similar to the style of Lane Smith’s illustrations in A House That Once Was but more cartoonish. The text reveals the strength of hair (strong enough to hold up two elephants), the mileage of blood vessels (100,000), the average amount of foot sweat (1 ¼ cups per day), and the inevitable fart and poop information (every day a body can produce enough gas to fill up a birthday balloon). The accompanying balloon image is brown with a fluffy cloud inside. The reproductive system is not included.