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    The Children's Book Review

    It Takes Guts, How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (And Poop) | Book Review

    Denise MealyBy Denise Mealy3 Mins Read Ages 4-8 Ages 9-12 Best Kids Stories Science
    It Takes Guts, How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (And Poop) | Book Review
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    Book Review of It Takes Guts, How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel
    The Children’s Book Review

    It Takes Guts, How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel

    It Takes Guts, How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (And Poop)

    Written by Dr. Jennifer Gardy

    Illustrated by Belle Wuthrich

    Ages 8-12 | 152 Pages

    Publisher: Greystone Kids | ISBN-13: 978-1771645010

     What to expect: Human Body, Facts, Gross Facts, Biology

    Well, it’s a fact: everybody poops. We may not want to talk about it (adults, mainly), but our digestive functions are a long and fascinating process. With Dr. Jennifer Gardy, we can learn how what we eat and drink nourishes us, moves through us, and becomes…yes, we’ll say it again – poop.

    Time to leave delicate sensibilities at the door!

    From the beginning, our tiny bodies create a digestive tract. According to the book, embryos begin forming tubes that become our intricate digestive system at merely eight weeks old. And by the time we are born, we have already created our very first poop. Talk about starting things off on the right foot.

    Gardy takes us on an intense journey through our bodies. Even our mouth and seemingly useless saliva (did you know you make six cups a day of saliva?!) are fascinating. Did you know that your digestive system has its own nervous system, called the enteric nervous system? That means that it does its thing all on its own. Next time you swallow, pay attention. Can you talk while swallowing? Breathe? No? That’s because the enteric nervous system has taken over, ensuring food finds its way down the proper path and not into your lungs! Pretty cool, right?

    With the interesting/gross facts Dr. Jennifer Gardy so entertainingly lays out, Belle Wuthrich’s illustrations deserve a shoutout. Never before has a poop and gut bacteria looked so friendly and adorable! Wuthrich’s pictures keep the book light and fun, with comical asides and realistic depictions of things like your intestines.

    A perfect book for a book report or your niece or nephew who loves to regale the family with gross facts at the dinner table! IT TAKES GUTS: HOW YOUR BODY TURNS FOOD INTO FUEL (AND POOP) is a perfect gift!

    Highly recommended as a gift or for the classroom.

    Buy the Book

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    Dr. Jennifer Gardy: Author Headshot

    About the Author

    Dr. Jennifer Gardy is a scientist who has worked at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control and is now part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Malaria team. She appears frequently on television programs such as CBC’s The Nature of Things and the Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet. She lives in Chicago. 

    Belle Wuthrich: Illustrator Headshot

    About the Author

    Belle Wuthrich is an illustrator and designer specializing in books for young readers. Based in Vancouver, Canada, Belle has contributed to more than a dozen books for kids, a number of which have won awards or been republished internationally.

    It Takes Guts, How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (And Poop) by Dr. Jennifer Gardy was reviewed by Dr. Jen Harrison. Discover more books like It Takes Guts, How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (And Poop) by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with fact books, biology, and human body books.

    What to Read Next:

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    3. My Amazing Body Machine: A Colorful Visual Guide to How Your Body Works | Book Review
    4. 3 Kids Books About Sharks Perfect for Young Marine Biologists

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    Belle Wuthrich Biology Dr. Jennifer Gardy Fact Books Greystone Kids Human Body Books
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    Denise Mealy
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    Denise Mealy is a former web content provider who stays at home to change diapers and write books. Her days are filled with Word documents, books and sloppy kisses (from dogs and baby alike). She likes to read, cook, dance, travel and forward pictures of spam sculptures to friends. If she could have dinner with any author, dead or alive, it would be a toss up between J.K. Rowling and Jane Austen. They would probably eat pasta. Yes, definitely pasta. For more information, visit: www.dccmealy.com You can also find her on Twitter: @dccmealy

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