Ouch! : the weird & wild ways your body deals with agonizing aches, ferocious fevers, lousy lumps, crummy colds, bothersome bites, breaks, bruises & burns & makes them feel better
(Book)

Gr 3–6—Rhatigan describes the different ways in which humans become sick or injured, along with how the human body reacts and what can be done to help the healing process. An appropriate disclaimer cautions readers that the book is not intended to be used for self-diagnosis and encourages children to seek an adult when something is wrong. The medical information and terms are clearly explained. Colorful chapter and topic headings nicely organize the information into logical sections. Rhatigan covers parts of the body, bacteria and viruses, poisonous plants, bruises, bleeding, and more. In addition to including the symptoms, the author details how a doctor would treat the problem. Ways to prevent the illness/injury from getting worse are noted, along with a somewhat subjective scale rating the levels of pain readers might feel when experiencing each medical issue. A hefty combination of photographs, diagrams, and drawings augments the informative text, but not all the images are captioned. Owsley uses lots of color in his expressive, playful, and at times cartoon artwork. Unfortunately, the appended glossary does not give pronunciations for terms. The helpful index and table of contents, however, are a plus. Rhatigan and Owsley transform what could be a dry subject into a lively, educational read for children who are curious about common ailments and injuries.—Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH