Blasts of Gas

by Melissa Stewart

Benchmark Books, 2010

for Grades 3 to 5

ISBN 978–076144-155–7

Purchase this book at your local independent bookseller or Amazon.com.

The Secrets of Breathing, Burping, and Passing Gas

The lively, conversational tone and blend of photos and cartoon-style art make The Eyes Have It: The Secrets of Eyes and Seeing a perfect blend of fun facts and serious science learning about the human eyes as well as the visual systems of other creatures. Here at last — a book that’s irreverent enough to captivate young readers, yet authoritative enough to win the praise of teachers, librarians, and parents.

Honors and Awards

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator/Anna Cross Giblin Nonfiction Research Grant

Reviews

“Come on, admit it. The title of this book is so intriguing that you’ve been waiting to hear about gas. Did you know that you inhale about 1.6 gallons of air a minute (2,300 gallons per day)? Did you know that your lungs work hardest in the late afternoon between 4 and 5 p.m.? Do you know how cows’ burping contributes to global warming? Which foods make you fart the most? Answers to all these questions are inside. [The books in this series] are wonderful human body titles for elementary schools.” (School Library Journal’s Practically Paradise blog)

“The Gross and Goofy Body [series of books] enlivens physiology for kids, offering humorous yet scientific surveys of body functions in just under 50 pages each. Kids in grades 2–4 will find [these books] appealing and fun. Each blends photos with fun cartoons and photos of kids, along with plenty of basic physiology.” (Children’s Bookwatch)

“Despite its irreverent moniker, the Gross and Goofy Body series offers detailed science facts in a fashion approachable enough to make it a welcome supplement to school textbooks. Each volume takes on a part or function of the body and then goes through the paces of description, metaphor, examples, data, and, most extensively, comparison to our animal counterparts. … the layout is fresh, clean, and colorful, sidebars keep things conversational, and the back matter is solid.” (Booklist)

Behind the Book

“All the books in this series have been fun to research and write, but this one had me laughing out loud. Who knew the respiratory and digestive systems could be such a gas? I read medical textbooks and journal articles and spoke with scientists and doctors, but I also consulted the Guinness Book of World Records and a great book called Extreme Nature by Mark Carwardine and Rosamund Kidman Cox. Some of the most interesting facts in the book are the answers to questions kids asked me when they found out what I was writing. It’s thanks to them that I talked about armpit burps and why our lungs are the most efficient in the late afternoon.”