Illumanatomy

Gr 4–8—The key to this title is the multicolored "X-ray lens" included in a special pocket on the inside cover. Looking at the illustrations through the colored lens allows readers to look inside the human body; the red lens illuminates the skeleton, the green highlights the muscles, and the blue focuses on the organs and blood vessels. Viewing through the glasses is really quite magical, although the blue lens is a bit dark and requires good lighting for the best effect. There are 10 chapters covering various body parts (such as the head and the heart) and one chapter on how a baby grows. Each section is comprised of three spreads. The first, called "Part of the Body," introduces the topic with a colored illustration (meant to be viewed with the X-ray lens), text, and a description of what readers can see with the lens. The second spread, called "X-ray Room," is a colored illustration without text that is meant to be viewed with the lens. "Anatomy Room" is the third section and comprised of black-and-white illustrations with clearly labelled descriptions of body parts and their function—no X-ray lens required here. The oversize format and the necessity of keeping track of a detachable lens (essential for full enjoyment of the title) might mean that it isn't a viable choice for all libraries.