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Circulatory Story

by Mary K. Corcoran
42p. 978-1-58089-208-7.
COPY ISBN
Gr 2-4 Corcoran attempts to provide a simple, yet humorous explanation of the circulatory system. Her treatment is cursory and requires that readers imagine themselves as a little green imp traveling onboard a red blood cell floating along in a girl's plasma. The narrative often comes across as confusing and unclear. Sections such as "The Arching Aorta" use words in the illustrations that are not explained in the text or in the extensive glossary ("externa," "media," "intima"). The author uses asides, such as "Did you get a charge out of that?" and "Pee-yew! Your red blood cell just passed gas," that detract from understanding the many complicated words that are presented superficially in the text. On the other hand, the digitally colored line illustrations are interestingly detailed and offer a light touch. The font is large and attractively arranged on colorful backgrounds. This book would best be used as a supplement to such titles as Paul Showers's "Hear Your Heart" (HarperCollins, 2001)."Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
A cartoonish character rides a red blood cell throughout the human circulatory system, examining its major components and their functions. Colorful cartoon illustrations, zany asides, and liberal use of exclamation points fail to lighten the heavy scientific content. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos.
A lively and entertaining explanation of the body’s circulatory system that will capture the reader’s imagination. Describes the circulatory system in a relatable way, using examples such as the way a body reacts to a skinned knee. Playful illustrations are clearly labeled and supplement the explanations in the text.

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