Your Sense-ational Human Body: A Guide to Your 32 Senses
Science journalist and children’s author Emma Young combines her passions in this accessible non-fiction book exploring the thirty-two senses (identified so far) that help humans to survive in the world.
Drawing on the research for her adult bestseller, Super Senses, Young uses a child-focused approach rather than simplifying the complexity of the text. ‘Common knowledge’ often lags behind the most recent science, and while the idea of ‘five senses’ may sometimes serve as a useful shorthand for how we experience the world, Young makes it clear this is completely outdated, while also noting that science is not yet ‘done’ with its discoveries.
In this book we learn many facts, including that the human body ‘farts 5,475 times every year’, and are invited to delve into our origins in a section titled ‘primordial soup’. Feelings such as the swirling of a rollercoaster or the spiky jolt of fear upon seeing a spider are dramatised brilliantly on the page and inspire curiosity in the processes behind the sensory responses evoked even while reading. The graphic, stylised illustrations and infographics from John Devolle reflect his capacity for making complex scientific topics accessible to a younger audience. Even tricky biology diagrams are transformed into something more approachable in comic-strip format.
This is an engaging and informative book for all children, whether or not they view themselves as ‘into’ science, and serves as a reminder that learning can be – gasp! – fun!
