The Children’s Book Review | July 13, 2017
Written by Robert Winston
Illustrated by Owen Gildersleeve
Age Range: 5-10
Publisher: DK (2017)
ISBN: 978-1-4654-6185-8
What to Expect: Facts, Diagrams, Human Body, STEM
The DK brand is always outstanding for informational children’s books, and this new offering from Robert Winston is no exception. Tagged as “a colorful visual guide to how your body works”, this volume extends the metaphor in the title to each page, showing the reader exactly how the different part od the body work together just like the parts of a machine, to fulfil specific purposes.
As with all DK informational books, the organization and layout in My Amazing Body Machine are clear and logical, walking the reader through the body step by step. Text-boxes, columns, picture captions, and so, all work together to break up what amount to an extensive amount of factual material, making it easy for the reader to digest (no pun intended), while high-contrast, colorful illustrations double-up as diagrams, showing rather than telling the reader how the body functions. For me, these illustrations are the best part of the volume: the paper-crafting technique that Owen Gildersleeve utilizes makes these images pop from the page with 3d realism. Overall, the book is fun as well as educational, using both innovative imagery and real-life examples to illuminate the wonders of the human body for young readers. A key contribution to supporting STEM education, My Amazing Body Machine introduces children to the complexity and ingenuity of their own bodies.
Available Here:
About the Illustrator
Illustrator Owen Gildersleeve is an artist based in London who specializes in handcrafted illustration and set design. His illustrations combine multiple-layered paper-cuttings with graphic shapes. His playful and colorful handcrafted creations have won several awards. This is his first book for children.
My Amazing Body Machine: A Colorful Visual Guide to How Your Body Works was reviewed by Dr. Jen Harrison. Discover more books like My Amazing Body Machine: A Colorful Visual Guide to How Your Body Works by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Body Parts, DK Children, Fact Books, Human Body Books, Non-Fiction, and STEM.