The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers

August 1, 2022
What remnants of our human evolution do we still carry around? Wisdom Tooth, the bespectacled guide to this entertaining tour of a fictional museum devoted to vestigial phenomena, provides breezy and accessible explanations of natural selection, adaptation, and evolution. The text is amusingly "edited" as if in red pencil, offering lighthearted editorial commentary and occasional expansion of information at key points. Hanmer's lively cartoon art includes labeled exhibits, diagrams, and round-eyed caricatures of creatures (microscopic animals, fish, early mammals, hominids, etc.) along the evolutionary path that produced humans and that left the usefulness of some traits behind: wisdom teeth, goosebumps, the palmar reflex, the coccyx, the little bump in the corner of the eye that was once a nictitating membrane, and even hiccups. Poliquin also speculates on possible reasons for humans' relative hairlessness. A few experiments (picking up a pencil with toes and writing one's name, timing how long it takes for wet fingers to become wrinkly) encourage self-observation. Though the discussion of evolution and its related processes and the overall attention to detail are precise and sophisticated, Poliquin refers to embryos and fetuses only as "babies" in discussing even the earliest weeks of human ontogeny. A glossary revisits and defines some of the museum exhibits and concepts from the tour. An appealingly distinctive approach to understanding evolution. (further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 7-12)

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August 1, 2022
Grades 2-5 A cartoonish wisdom tooth, donning spectacles and an academic cap, and a sidekick disappearing kidney are the perfect guides through this museum of seemingly useless and weird body parts (aka vestigial structures). In an upbeat, conversational style, Wisdom Tooth first gives a brief overview of evolution and why these changes left remaining odd bits in humans. It then takes readers throughout different themed rooms, explaining such human body phenomena as the spleen, goose bumps, wrinkly fingers, hiccups, and "the disappearing human tail," as well as more related evolutionary theories. From humorous illustrations in dominant blues, reds, and purples to a table of contents in the form of a museum map, numerous features keep the content both educational and entertaining. Other features include text with amusing strikeouts (turning shrunken, flawed, broken, and weird body parts, for example, into smart, fun, beautiful, and wonderful ones) and "Try This" exercises, such as testing yourself for a leftover palmaris longus muscle used by monkeys. A quirky STEM selection for unengaged readers and budding biologists alike.

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Starred review from October 1, 2022

Gr 4 Up-Another amazing informational text from Poliquin (Beastly Puzzles, The Superpower Field Guides). Readers' hilarious and informative guides through the book are a Wisdom Tooth and a Disappearing Kidney, two human body parts that are vestigial structures, or body parts that, thanks to evolution, are now "mostly useless." These two guides move through the museum, conversing about the different exhibits, which include the human tail, monkey muscles, goosebumps, and hiccups, among others. The content is broad yet detailed in its presentation and digestible for its targeted audience. For example, Poliquin not only describes how human teeth have changed, but delves into a broader historical explanation of how the changes in farming and cooking have contributed to such changes throughout the years. This high interest expository nonfiction text will capture the attention of even the most reluctant readers and will spark interest and further research. Nonfiction text features support the book beautifully, and the illustrations are informative while entertaining. Kids and adults alike will love poring over the different sections of this book and will delight in informing their friends and family members of the facts they've learned. VERDICT A highly recommended purchase for every school and classroom library.-Amy McInerney

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