Bibliography:
Murphy, Jim. 2003. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. New York. Clarion Books. ISBN 0-395-77608-2
Plot Summary:
Every day we mindlessly stuff pizza, sugar-filled candy, preservative-filled meats, and such “junk” into our mouths without giving careful consideration as to where it is going or what it is doing to our body. Seymour Simon, in the book Guts: Our Digestive System, opens our eyes with his accessible facts and vivid illustrations. Simon travels the same route as the food we eat, “…three meals and several snacks a day. That adds up to several hundred pounds of food in a year. The digestive system turns the truckload of sandwiches, milk, salads, and pizza that you eat each year into the energy and nutrients that your body needs.” Simon takes us on a narrative and visual tour of our digestive tract, “(it) begins in the mouth and runs through the esophagus, the stomach, and the small and large intestines.” Along the way the reader learns information about the colon and sees what an unhealthy colon looks like. The functions of such organs as the liver and pancreas are also included.
Critical Analysis:
Seymour Simon is a well-known author of trusted nonfiction children’s books. Seymour Simon has a strong science background, having been a science educator for many years. He connects with the reader as he relates facts but abstains from subjecting the reader to his own opinions. In this book Seymour Simon has not listed any references, which is disappointing. He gives very detailed facts such as, “In 1822 U.S. Army doctor Dr. William Beaumont treated Alexis St. Martin who had accidentally shot himself in the stomach. St. Martin recovered from the wound, but the hole remained. For years, Beaumont looked into the patient’s stomach and experimented with foods to see how they were digested.” This does not seem like common knowledge, and it would be nice to know where Simon found this information. Additionally, it would provide a good example for children who are beginning to learn the importance of giving credit to their research sources.
The organization of this book follows the path of the digestive system. He begins with the teeth, explaining the mechanics of chewing and even includes suggestions of things to try. “The enzyme in saliva changes starch into sugar. You can see this for yourself by chewing on a piece of bread and letting it stay in your mouth. Bread is a starchy food without much taste. But after a few minutes, the bread will begin to taste sweet. Now try chewing on a piece of non-starchy food such as a peanut or a piece of cheese. These won’t taste sweet no matter how long you keep them in your mouth.” From the mouth Simon follow the bolus (wet, chewed food) down the esophagus to the stomach, where he discusses gastric juices and the pyloric sphincter. The food then travels through the small and large intestines and along the way we learn about the gallbladder, liver, and pancreas. In the end the food exits the anus, and to wrap it all up Simon gives meaning to the phrase, “You are what you eat.” He says, “The food that you eat travels from your mouth to your esophagus, then to your stomach and to your small intestine, and finally to your large intestine and out of your body. Along the way the food is broken down into substances that your body can use. Truly you are made of the fruits and vegetables, cereals and breads, dairy products, meat and fish that are digested in the journey through your gut.”
The layout and design of this book is sequential and logical. Unfortunately, subtitles and graphic tools were missing from the images on each page that would show where in the digestive journey the reader is. However, the pictures have a good variety, including diagrams, microscopic views, and cadaver photographs.
The author’s style of writing is very approachable; he includes a lot of factual information but relates well to the reader. The very first sentence is, “You probably eat three meals and several snacks a day.” Right away Simon has found a connection with the reader who has schema for the subject of food!
Review Excerpts:
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6–Simon's specialty of drawing in readers through large, detailed, breathtaking photos and then entertaining them with facts is again in evidence. Beginning with the teeth, esophagus, and stomach, the information then winds its way through the small and large intestines, with the importance of the pancreas and liver included. The text is enhanced with detailed colored X rays, computer-generated pictures, and microscopic photos. The material is detailed, with terminology that may be difficult for children with no background, but not sophisticated enough to need a medical degree for interpretation. Students will find the book fascinating as well as a bit gross. Writers of health-related reports, as well as casual browsers, will surely put this title to use.–Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. The latest in Simon's books about the human body explains how the digestive system works. In his signature style, accessible without being cute or condescending, he describes the complex facts and processes of the physiology, from the time food enters the mouth until all the various organs transform it into energy, nutrients, and waste. Some of the text is quite dense, but the clearly labeled, full-page color photos show the anatomy close-up, from an X-ray of the colon and a photo of a dissected pancreas to a microscopic view of what heartburn looks like in the stomach. Simon also includes a page about a healthy diet. The facts of how the body works are astonishing. Readers older than the target audience may want to look at this, too. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Reviews accessed at:
Connections:
Simon, Seymour. 2000. Muscles: Our Muscular System. Harper Trophy. ISBN 0688177204.
Simon, Seymour. 2006. The Heart: Our Circulatory System. Collins. ISBN 0060877219.
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