Book Bundles: Bones and Brains

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Katrin Dreiling. "Skeletons have no muscle-- / they'll never win a race. / Their legs flop 'round like jelly, / and they fall down on their face." Evans's peppy rhyming text reassures readers that without muscles, skin, brains, noses, and guts, skeletons pose no threat to humans, while Dreiling's digitally composed mixed-media illustrations feature three trick-or-treaters who aren't convinced. When they encounter one of the skeletons that, "waking from their slumber...climb out of the ground" on Halloween night, the kids run away as the skeleton gives chase. But has anyone considered that since skeletons "have no friends," maybe "they'd like to find a few"? The raucous illustrations are packed with visual treats.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Creepy and True series. This wide-ranging account examines some notable searches for and/or discoveries of human remains. These are more than bare-bones overviews; Hollihan draws on the work of archaeologists, geologists, biologists, historians, forensic anthropologists, and more as she provides context, background, and theories. Hollihan's enthusiasm for her subject comes through in her detailed conversational text, which includes discussion of the hunt for King Richard III's grave in England, the aftermath of two catastrophic nineteenth-century Indonesian volcanic eruptions, an ill-fated 1845 Arctic expedition, the Romanov deaths, to name a few cases. Lots of color photos and archival reproductions liven up the pages; sidebars expand on such topics as plate tectonics, cannibalism, and "What to Do If You Find Human Bones." Selected sources, related websites, and an index (not seen) are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Matthew Rivera. A cheerful zombie narrator, who's trying to kick her brain-eating habit, introduces the features and functions of the human brain. Both the text and animated illustrations successfully walk the line between science--"Your brain is the boss, the coach..."--and silliness: "...the main computer--but tastier than a computer." Our ghoulish guide demonstrates how the five senses act as messengers (here they act as a zombie early-warning system). She compares the human brain's appearance and weight to various animal brains and gets a little more science-y in discussion of neurons, glial cells, and parts of the brain (e.g., brain stem, cerebellum, temporal lobe). An author's note, more brain facts, and list of sources are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn