Book Review of What Breathes Through Its Butt?
The Children’s Book Review

Written by Dr. Emily Grossman

Illustrated by Alice Bowsher

Ages 10-12 | 224 Pages

Publisher: Bloomsbury | ISBN: 978-1-5476-0452-4

What to Expect: Science, Nature, Interactive.

Science is full of weird and wonderful facts. Most whales don’t have teeth. Redheads may be genetically more susceptible to pain. Tree bark is very salty. Who knew?

Especially when it comes to the natural world, there is a seemingly endless quantity of fun and fascinating facts. The thing is, so many science books for kids focus on the facts without going into the whys, hows, and scientific methodologies that tie the facts together. What Breathes Through Its Butt is a science book with a difference: it provides readers with the tools to make connections, form hypotheses, and draw conclusions—in short, to learn how to be real scientists.

What stands out about this volume is the combination of comic-style presentation and interactive elements. Short blocks of text are punctuated by bold text highlighting important facts. Dialogue boxes add an immersive quality, while bold line-drawn illustrations add humor and illustrate important concepts. Most importantly, however, the volume is filled with thought-provoking questions, multiple-choice quizzes, and other interactive elements encouraging readers to see the links between different concepts and phenomena.

Great for reluctant readers and sure to fire the imagination of anyone interested in STEM, What Breathes Through Its Butt? is a fun and challenging introduction to scientific ways of thinking.

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About the Author

Emily Grossman loves science: she’s an expert in molecular biology and genetics with a Ph.D. in cancer research. She is a broadcaster, author, educator, and trainer. She has been named the second Honorary STEM Ambassador for her work in education and has become a YouTube sensation thanks to her video How to Stop Yourself Being Ticklish. She lives in London, England.

For more information, visit emilygrossman.co.uk and @DrEmilyGrossman.

About the Illustrator

Alice Bowsher is an animator and the illustrator of the Natural History Museum’s Jungle, Ocean, Forest, and African Animals. She lives in London, England.

For more information, visit alicebowsher.co.uk and @alicebowsher.

What Breathes Through Its Butt?, written by Dr. Emily Grossman, was reviewed by Dr. Jen Harrison. Discover more books like What Breathes Through Its Butt? by following our reviews and articles tagged with Science, Nature, and Fact Books.