Fred Ehrlich

You Can't Take Your Body to a Car Mechanic is enjoyable book that is written to talk about common illness among children. It gives insight to both the kids and adults about where, when or how to seek help if you are feeling ill. The book is split into five chapters with each chapter exploring something new from skin rashes to allergies. The language used in the book is pretty advanced (as it should be, medically accurate) but the way of explaining the illnesses are in pretty kid friendly terms (as much as they can be). There is also a glossary at the end of the book that helps define the different types of individuals who provide care.… (lisätietoja)

I really enjoyed this book! It starts with an introduction that explains the difference between endangered and extinct. Next it jumps into a quirky poem about animals one cannot see at the zoo: the dodo, woolly mammoth, and saber-toothed tiger. The first chapter is dinosaurs and while the poem is cute and the information is valuable, children hear so much about dinosaurs. I would have preferred to learn about extinct or endangered animals that aren't so frequently talked about. Chapter two is extinct birds. The text is written in a handwriting-like print, the information is regular while the poetry is in bold. Chapter three is about extinct mammals. I'm glad the book included Bandicoots and Quaggas, two animals that I had never heard of! The last chapter is about endangered animals including the reason they're endangered and what's being done to build their populations back up. I learned a Tasmanian Devil could be kept as a pet! The book ends with reminder that buildings and roads change the lands that animals call home and every change we make effects some type of living creature.… (lisätietoja)

This book is incredible. It lays out all the facts of diseases children will come in contact with. While being extremely factual about all of the illnesses, it is written in such a way that would intrigue young readers and make them want to learn. The title of the book alone is so creative and caused me to pull it off the shelf and I'm sure an elementary student would do the same. This book also contains facts about not only major sicknesses, but also everyday diseases that people they encounter may be facing, such as Eczema, ear infections, tooth aches and more!… (lisätietoja)

(ARC was provided to read and review.)

You Can't Take Your Body to a Car Mechanic is the second book I've read of the author's You Can't books. It seems, all the books of the series combine interesting facts with fun rhymes and cheerful cartoon-style illustrations, which IMO is a winning concept.

The book is divided into five small chapters, where all the common illnesses children will often be confronted with, are looked at. There's the upset stomach, cold and flu, skin problems, blisters, insect bites, allergies and more. The explanations are easy enough to understand, but some of the wording is just for the advanced reader, such as diarrhea or laryngitis as well as the glossary at the end, which lists all the specialist doctors like ophthalmologist or hematologist, I know adults which have problems spellings this.
On the other hand, children love challenging words and to try and pronounce otolaryngologist can lead to a lot of fun.
Still, the text is easy enough to understand and to make it even better, the funny illustrations on every page help as much as the rhymes, which often summarize a theme or chapter.

I like the author's conclusion at the end of the book, that luckily most illnesses have an "expectable course". It will help children to understand, yes, they are feeling unwell at the moment, but it takes a bit of time for the body to heal and they will get better.
Also at the end of the book is a note to parents and caregivers, where the author offers sensible advice, when it's better to call an ambulance or to consult a doctor, instead of trying to cure the illness at home.

Overall a useful book, to help older children to understand how common illnesses are caused and what will help them (or where they find help) to get better.… (lisätietoja)