NSTA Recommends
Tasting in Living Things
by Karen Hartley, Chris Macro, and Philip Taylor
Price at time of review: $19.92
32 pp.
Heinemann Library
Chicago, IL
2000
ISBN: 157572250-X
Grade Level: K-4
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Reviewed by Faith Brynie
Science Writer
Tasting in Living Things is one of six books on the senses from Heinemann. These colorful, 32-page First Library editions invite children from 4 to 7 to explore their own senses and to compare them with other animals. Each book also includes suggestions for age-appropriate, hands-on discovery activities. Tasting in Living Things outlines the processes and structures involved in the human sense of taste. It also explores different mechanisms of chemical detection employed by other species. The photographs and illustrations are bright, clear, and appealing. They show people of all ages, ethnic heritages, and disabilities. On each page, the visuals match the text well enough for nonreaders to grasp the concept easily. The books' covers are especially engaging; few children will be able to resist the bug-eyed lizard. The gamin-faced little girl who introduces each sense with an animated facial expression is a charmer.
The book highlights scientific terms and unfamiliar words with boldface type and uses them in context. Children are directed to a simple, one-page glossary for definitions stated in words they can understand. There is a brief list of other books for further reading and an index that may prove useful in helping build children’s research skills. These books would be a delight to read to--or with--younger children, and most first and second graders could easily handle them with little adult help. They should stimulate lively discussion in the classroom as stand-alone science lessons or in conjunction with a unit on senses. There’s enough information in each book that reading and inquiry might extend over several days, giving children opportunities to relate their experiences and expand their understanding of both human and animal senses. Each book ends with a sense map that children can use to review what they have learned and to locate their own sensory apparatus. I especially liked the fact that the authors expanded the topic to include other animals—-some of which may not be familiar to all children. The approach, I think, encourages young learners to expand their curiosity about the natural world and to look beyond the human experience for an understanding and appreciation of life processes. This is an excellent choice if the topic of “senses” is in your curriculum.
Review posted on 2/14/2001
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