Review - Skulls!

Skulls!
by Blair Thornburgh
illustrated by Scott Campbell
Date: 2019
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

Debut picture book author Blair Thornburgh and award-winning illustrator Scott Campbell put their heads together to celebrate one of the most important bones in your body: the skull!

You probably don’t think much about skulls.
So what’s the big deal about them?

Well, every head
of every person
you’ve ever seen
has a skull inside.

And that includes YOU!

This smart, skull-positive story cheerfully dispels any fears kids might have about their skeletons, flipping our view of skulls from a spooky symbol to a fascinating, cool, and crucial part of our bodies.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a lighthearted look at some of the most important bones in the body: the ones that make up the skull. The playful watercolour illustrations show skulls in all their glory, and the accompanying text explains all about their function.

There's a page of cool skull facts at the back, but there's a lot of information in the main text, too. The book mainly focuses on the science, so there's really no mention of skull symbolism (e.g., the Day of the Dead, Halloween, etc.) which would've been nice. Still, it's a decent non-fiction picture book that introduces the topic of skulls in a somewhat amusing, completely non-threatening way. This would be a great title for kids who are just starting to get interested in their bodies and the function of various parts.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5