Hear Your Heart by Paul Showers, Holly Keller (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

While you're awake...while you're asleep...your heart is always beating. You can listen to your heart. You can feel it beat. But just how does your heart work? New York Times journalist Paul Showers and popular illustrator Holly Keller introduce readers to human anatomy in this clear and accessible look at the circulatory system. A page of activities and further resources gives young biologists more information on keeping their hearts healthy and strong.

About the Author:
New York Times journalist Paul Showers is the author of The Listening Walk, as well as A Drop of Blood and many other nonfiction titles for children.

Holly Keller is the illustrator of , and Sounds All Around, as well as the Geraldine books. She lives in West Redding, CT.

Children's Literature

It takes only a cardboard tube to fashion an effective stethoscope. With this simple tool children are introduced to the wonders of the human body's strongest organ. Listening to others' heartbeats opens the door to understanding what the heart is, what it looks like, how it functions and the role it plays in human biology. Using different hands-on exercises, the author demonstrates that every heart is as unique as each individual. An adult heart beats at a slower rate than an infant heart. During the course of the day, an individual's heartbeat varies. Fast or slow, day or night, the heart is always on duty. Readers of all ages will appreciate the charming drawings of multicultural children checking pulses, using stethoscopes and measuring heartbeats after exercise. Younger children may have difficulty understanding the drawings detailing the heart and its function. Backmatter includes extended exercises for healthy hearts and a web site for further information. This is a Stage 2 book in the HarperTrophy "Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science" series. 2001 (orig. 1968), HarperCollins, , . Ages 5 to 9. Reviewer: Stephanie Farrow

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3-A revision of a 1968 book. Keller's illustrations and Showers's text complement one another well, and will give young readers a good introduction to how the heart works. Three simple activities (measuring heart rate, exercising the heart, and making a stethoscope) are easy but effective ways to augment the text. The writing is succinct and clear. The simple line illustrations include a minimum of detail yet they reflect the action and convey different emotions effectively. The illustrations of the structure of the heart are well done, resulting in a good overview for beginning readers.-Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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