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(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Jef Czekaj.
Elementary school students perform a play about how the thirteen squabbling colonies agreed to join forces. In this attempt (largely successful) to make a U.S. history lesson palatable to the 24/7-cable-TV generation, the bland main text is the straight-man; humor comes from the costumed kids' dialogue-balloon asides and the cartoony illustrations resembling Simpsons stills. Bib.
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Jef Czekaj.
A spiky-haired green guy with an orange and white striped tie and sneakers guides readers through the human digestive system, pointing out each organ and its function, be it "cool" or "sometimes gross." The gory facts are all there, but breezy writing ("good job, epiglottis"), use of the second person, and cartoon illustrations keep the tone light. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos.