The Brain |
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REVIEWS:
AMAZON.COM, Karin Snelson
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.…
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)
[ Read more ]KIRKUS REVIEWS
What does a neuron look like up close? Simon (The Heart, 1996, etc.) provides a computer-colored micrograph of neurons taken by an electron microscope magnified 20,000 times. He goes on to explain how billions and billions of neurons link up…
What does a neuron look like up close? Simon (The Heart, 1996, etc.) provides a computer-colored micrograph of neurons taken by an electron microscope magnified 20,000 times. He goes on to explain how billions and billions of neurons link up the body network nervous system connecting brain and nerves throughout the body, making thought, memory, movement, and other functions possible. The author includes information on new scientific equipment and techniques in a difficult text that requires careful, repeated reading, e.g., ``This positron computed tomography (PCT) photo uses radioactive tracers in blood sugar to show two different levels of visual stimulation in the brain.'' Full-color photographs, computer simulations, drawings, and three-dimensional models are used to grand effect to clarify, explain, and celebrate the remarkably complex system of brain and nerves; the large format, often with white type on black paper and full-page photos, is visually striking. Those who persevere (with no glossary or index to guide them) will appreciate this fascinating title, a case in which the picture-book format works perfectly to complement text with illustrations, but by no means indicates simplicity. (Picture book/nonfiction. 9-12)
Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
THE HORN BOOK
"The variety of views and the lucid presentation provide an absorbing introduction to this amazing control system that can do more jobs than the most powerful computer ever made." -- Horn Book, September/October, 1997
"The variety of views and the lucid presentation provide an absorbing introduction to this amazing control system that can do more jobs than the most powerful computer ever made." -- Horn Book, September/October, 1997
[ Read more ]BOOKLIST, Carolyn Phelan
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…
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."
[ Read more ]SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, NY
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…
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.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
Stunning, computer enhanced images of the human brain and nervous system fill the black pages of this dramatic examination of The Brain. Parts of the brain are identified, neural operating procedures are outlined, and current brain research is described. The…
Stunning, computer enhanced images of the human brain and nervous system fill the black pages of this dramatic examination of The Brain. Parts of the brain are identified, neural operating procedures are outlined, and current brain research is described. The wonder of this book, as with all of Simon's outstanding works, is that it explains without eliminating wonder. Readers learn about the small organ that controls human thought, movement, reaction, and emotion-they learn enough to stand in awe of it.
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