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gabriellebelisle's review against another edition
4.0
The illustrations are wonderful and there's a ton of information that is great for all ages.
lupinegarden's review against another edition
4.0
My 7-year-old chose this, but I feel like my 11-year-Old was a better fit for this comic that was chock full of information. This is a terrific series for Upper-elementary and middle-grade students.
yeontan's review against another edition
5.0
a great comic and very informative! def pick up a copy when it’s out.
ultranurd's review against another edition
3.5
Light and quick and crammed with facts. Reminiscent of the Earth Before Us series but without quite as much humor. I learned a few things I never got in detail (even taking a neuroscience course in grad school). I think it would have been better to be slightly longer with more transitions... it's pretty rapid fire, but it is for kids. Might spark more questions about how our brains work!
I liked the emphasis near the end on different types of intelligence and not just recalling facts which is one stereotypical view. Also entertaining legally distinct from Girl Scout Cookies story framing.
I liked the emphasis near the end on different types of intelligence and not just recalling facts which is one stereotypical view. Also entertaining legally distinct from Girl Scout Cookies story framing.
literarystrawberry's review against another edition
3.0
This was a lot of what I learned in my college Biology of Behavior and Cognitive Processes classes all condensed into a single comic with the addition of an evil brain robot. There is a /ton/ of information and vocabulary, none of it dumbed down in the slightest for the kids, and honestly even though I technically learned this stuff already I still think I'd have to read this book several times to really absorb it all. I don't know how much kids will get out of it, since sometimes all the complicated terminology could feel a little overwhelming, but the illustrations were fun and lively, the framing story engaging, and the jokes actually funny, so I think this can be a great learning tool. Honestly, this probably would have been helpful for me when studying for tests for those classes. I can see myself using this for my hypothetical future homeschooled children.
kbhenrickson's review against another edition
3.0
My 9-year-old son and I enjoyed the facts in this book, and we certainly learned a lot about the brain. I felt there were some parts that seemed like they weren't in the right order, or they were repetitive, and with a lot of complicated scientifically vocabulary, I'm not sure how long the average young person would stick with this one.
esotericareads's review against another edition
3.0
I'm actually surprised these are for children, because I have to slow myself down and really take my time trying to grasp the concepts taught. They don't dumb down any language, but I worry that my daughter will give up reading with some of the big words and concepts. They are very educational and I will continue reading them for the things I learn, I just wish some of the concepts were presented in easier to understand analogies.
scostner's review against another edition
4.0
Wow - the brain is amazing and so is this tour of what it accomplishes for us. Our guides through all that information are two sisters, Nour and Fahama, and a couple of their neighbors, a mad scientist and his assistant. It turns out that these neighbors are brain experts since one is a disembodied brain named Dr. Cerebrum and his assistant is a zombie ("Braaains"). As Fahama tries to keep her own brain inside her skull, she stalls for time by getting Dr. Cerebrum to explain all the intricacies of the brain and everything connected to it or controlled by it.
Topics covered include the evolution of life from single-celled organisms to today's humans with their complex brains, the various types of cells that make up the brain and nervous system, the jobs of those cells, the five senses, memory, and everything else related. The discussion of sight and sound gets into the details of wavelengths and frequencies. The different types of memory are covered and there is even guidance on the best way to study for a test.
One of my favorite sections describes the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. They are illustrated as a Star Trek bridge crew with the reaction to a perceived danger and the fight or flight response embodied by the captain (complete with gold command shirt), and the "chilling system" that helps you calm down when the danger is over portrayed by an ultra-calm crewman in science officer blue. (You gotta love a classic reference like that.)
Although this topic is interesting, it is complex and full of difficult vocabulary - even with the illustrations for support. The several pages of glossary in the back are helpful, but this is not light reading. I would recommend it for middle grades and up.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Topics covered include the evolution of life from single-celled organisms to today's humans with their complex brains, the various types of cells that make up the brain and nervous system, the jobs of those cells, the five senses, memory, and everything else related. The discussion of sight and sound gets into the details of wavelengths and frequencies. The different types of memory are covered and there is even guidance on the best way to study for a test.
One of my favorite sections describes the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. They are illustrated as a Star Trek bridge crew with the reaction to a perceived danger and the fight or flight response embodied by the captain (complete with gold command shirt), and the "chilling system" that helps you calm down when the danger is over portrayed by an ultra-calm crewman in science officer blue. (You gotta love a classic reference like that.)
Although this topic is interesting, it is complex and full of difficult vocabulary - even with the illustrations for support. The several pages of glossary in the back are helpful, but this is not light reading. I would recommend it for middle grades and up.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
kidlitluv's review against another edition
5.0
I love the main characters and the not-super-threatening villains. The art is delightful and I learned a LOT about the brain. This is a very complex topic for a Middle Grade comic, but I think the info was broken down well enough to be more or less understood by the target audience. And I think that even if some of the more technical info is a little too much, it's still an entertaining and informative comic.
lwbean's review against another edition
5.0
It is so crazy to think about how a bunch of brains made this book on brains possible. My brain thinks this book on brains is pretty great and very informative... but is that narcissistic of my brain?