Give Me a Hand: The Secrets of Hands, Feet, Arms, and Legs (The Gross and Goofy Body)

Despite its irreverent moniker, the Gross and Goofy Body series offers detailed science facts in a fashion approachable enough to make it a welcome supplement to school textbooks. Each volume takes on a part or function of the body and then goes through the paces of description, metaphor, examples, data, and, most extensively, comparison to our animal counterparts. Give Me a Hand explores appendages, describing the three different types of grips unique to those with opposable thumbs and going into surprisingly exhaustive detail regarding bones, muscles, and joints. Hamlin’s art feels too childish given the depth of information, but the layout is fresh, clean, and colorful, sidebars keep things conversational, and the back matter is solid. Grades 2-4. --Daniel Kraus