Medical Archives

The human body contains many organs, and every organ is made up of countless tiny Normal Cells with a job to do. Little Nano is different; she is a cell with an evolving story, a Stem Cell. Nano can become different kinds of Normal Cells, but she doesn’t know which kind yet, or which organ she’ll eventually call home. Big decisions! So the little Stem Cell will go exploring the organs of the human body, a wonderful journey!

“NANO’S JOURNEY! A Little Stem Cell Visits the Heart and Lungs” is a picture book written for 1st to 5th grade students. It is the first in a series that will explore the organs of the human from a Stem Cell’s point of view. Stem Cell Science is an extremely important field, central to research in Embryology, Diseases, and Aging.

Author Aldo Pourchet is a biologist, veterinarian, and biotech entrepreneur based in SanFrancisco. He spends most of his time studying biology and researching cancer and infectious diseases to create new therapies. As a research scientist, he has published articles in peer-reviewed journals, and collaborated with respected colleagues around the globe. “NANO’S JOURNEY! A Little Stem Cell Visits the Heart and Lungs” is Aldo’s first children’s book for future scientists.

Illustrator Jen Yoon (Jeongin Yoon) is an illustrator based in Seoul and New York. She enjoys mixing both traditional and digital mediums, creating complex layers. https://www.jenyoonart.com

Join A.J., the Mütter Museum’s junior-est guide, on a tour of the world’s best-known medical museum. A.J. will take you on a fun and wildly educational journey through the Mütter’s amazing collection of medical specimens and objects. Accompanied by playful illustrations, this look at medical mysteries-and-marvels will enthrall and inform science lovers of all ages. A.J. covers all of your questions; from the height of the museum’s skeleton Giant, to the length of the one-of-a-kind Megacolon. Learn all about how the human body works (or doesn’t!), and keep your eyes peeled for some of the museum’s most famous, high-spirited residents!

Reviews...

Gr 3–8—A junior guide named A.J. and his ghostly companions take readers on a museum tour that is not for the faint of heart. The Mütter Museum, part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, has been a repository for medical oddities, specimens, wax models, and antique medical equipment since it was founded by Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter in 1863. After A.J. explains how to pronounce the umlauted in the doctor’s last name, Mütter is the first ghost to appear on the pages of this whimsically illustrated tour. Dhody, the museum’s curator, shares exhibits that will appeal to readers who have an interest in the human body, and the stomach for gross details. There is the adipocere (corpse wax) that is the substance of the “Soap Lady,” the horn made out of the skin that grew from a Frenchwoman’s head in the 1800s, a megacolon that once contained “40 pounds of poo,” and more. As each specimen is introduced, its ghost climbs out of the display to join the tour group. One of the ghosts uses the megacolon as a balloon. The playful drawings lighten the tone and add to the appeal. Back matter includes further reading and photographs from the museum collection. Older readers could be motivated to learn more about the museum and its history. VERDICT Just what the doctor ordered. This engaging picture book is an obvious choice for a book talk.—Kathleen Isaacs, Children’s Lit. Specialist, Pasadena, MD

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL 07-01-2020