I Know Where My Food Goes

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Each Sam's Science book explores an aspect of science through a conversation between young Sam and his mum. In this book, Sam and his mum delve into the soupy gloopy realm of digestion.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Using enthusiastic language and fetching graphics, these first titles in a new science series successfully break down the complicated processes of the human body. In Food, a lunch of pizza and salad gets Sam's saliva going, offering knowledgeable and resourceful Mom a segue into a discussion of how the body processes food, from ingestion to elimination. McEwen's (Cows in the Kitchen) cartoony illustrations are full of attention-getting props: Sam's mother is shown inside a stomach, stirring up juices with a wooden spoon; when Mom explains that the small intestine is as long as a giraffe is tall, a giraffe materializes in the kitchen. In Germs, Sam and his mother are working in the garden as golden leaves begin to blow off trees; Sam's sneeze precipitates a conversation about the spread of germs. Among the images McEwen employs here are evil-looking green bacteria attempting to ram into a medieval fort constructed of scabs. The authors do not avoid exploring the most fascinating concerns of children, e.g., burping, pooping and picking scabs. In both titles, the art is fun and the facts are simple and sound‘even if spinach gets a bum rap in each. Ages 5-7. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 2-These picture books introduce scientific concepts in story format. The texts are both informational and entertaining as a little boy named Sam converses with his mother about what happens to his food and then about his cold and the role germs play. Children should relate to the nontechnical way the mother explains things and especially to Sam's remarks, such as "Cool," "Yuck," "I know...But I like picking at scabs," and "We have burping contests at school." The bright and appealing cartoons are done in colored pencils and watercolors. The uncluttered diagrams should be helpful in explaining the concepts. Unfortunately, Food is written with British terminology, which may confuse young readers. For example, instead of setting the table, Sam is asked to "Lay the table" and dessert is referred to as "afters." Spellings are also different, such as "litres," "oesophagus," and "metres." The series could fill a need for nonfiction for younger children, but it should be consistent with American spellings and terminology.-Susan Knell, Pittsburgh State University, Pittsburgh, KS (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

The merest hint of a story connects exchanges of simple scientific facts between young Sam and his mother. Cartoonlike illustrations capture the characters' actions and Sam's imaginings of the biologic processes in vibrant colors. The science is clearly--and humorously--conveyed. From HORN BOOK Fall 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

Through cozy conversation, just as they are about to devour pizza for lunch, Sam and his mother unravel the process of digestion in this entry in the Sam's Science series. Sam is childishly unscientific, but knows all about saliva and chewing and the tube that runs from his mouth to his stomach; with a little help from his mother, he covers such hard parts as the oesophagus and intestines. The plot line has an eager Sam reporting what he knows, involving much chewing and chomping, squishing and glopping, while his mother expands the discussion with clear explanations of bodily functions. A few Briticisms crop up, to no ill effect, and, while the measurements used are metric, they are defined in context. McEwen's clean-lined cartoons use the colors of a Crayola box, from school-bus yellow to tangerine orange. The typeface resembles a child's careful printing, underscoring the levity of Sam's responses and observations. He and his mother provide science at its simplest, with no small dash of fun. (Picture book. 4-8)