Sneeze!

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Achoo!

    Lily carries an armful of pollen-filled hay, Isaiah inhales ground black pepper, and Jonnie encounters mold spores in his damp basement. All three children are about to sneeze, and nothing can stop it.
    Black-and-white photos of nine children in sneeze-inducing situations are contrasted with amazing micrographs of the allergens and physical and chemical irritants that cause the sneezes.
    Science writer Alexandra Siy takes readers from the external world of mites, pollen, and mold into the body’s nervous system, explaining how neurons, muscles, and lungs all work together to generate the sneeze reflex.
    Dennis Kunkel’s electron micrographs bring readers up close and personal to dust mites, spider silk, pollen, fungus, and more—all magnified 400 to 200,000 times.
    Back matter includes a glossary of terms, sneeze trivia, a note about micrographs, and extended resources for further study.

    Alexandra Siy is the author of many children’s books, including Mosquito Bite, a Junior Library Guild selection and Orbis Pictus Honor book. She lives in upstate New York.
    The award-winning micrographs of Dennis Kunkel, PhD, are the subject of MicroAliens: Dazzling Journeys with an Electron Microscope (Houghton Mifflin). Dennis lives in Kailua, Hawai‘i.

Awards for Sneeze

2008 Science Writing Award, American Institute of Physics
NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book Selector's Choice
Bookbuilders of Boston New England Book Show Winner
New York Public Library's One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing List for 2007
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best

Selected Reviews for Sneeze

"With an opening likely to leave hypochondriacs in a state of blind panic, Siy and Kunkel return to introduce no fewer than nine children about to sneeze, each from a different cause, before going on to trace the reflex's complex neuron-muscular pathways. Kunkel's typically riveting micrographs zoom in on pollen grains, a single piece of ground pepper, a dust mite floating in a cloud of skin flakes and fecal pellets, mildew, a clot of house dust, cat dander, viruses and other sneeze-inducers - all beautifully colorized (properly so noted) and carefully labeled. Capped with a gathering of extra facts, stills from Thomas Edison's first moving picture (guess its title) and a list of resources, mostly from the web, this offering has it all - from explosive humor and drama to fascinating pictures, precise and clearly presented information, useful backmatter and a topic that touches on a universal experience." --- Kirkus Reviews 6/15/07

"Do you ever sneeze in the morning sunshine? Then you'll enjoy this lively, charming, beautifully-designed and illustrated book, which gives us "nine sneezes for nine reasons." Written at a middle-school level, it will be of interest to a wide range of ages, from third-graders who will be able to read the titles, to adults, who all will learn something new. The simple but surprisingly sophisticated scientific explanations of why (and how) people sneeze are supported by black-and-white photographs of children caught in mid-sneeze and wonderful, full-page, colorized electron microphotographs displayed on a striking black background. Elements of each micrograph are labeled, and the magnifications are indicated, ranging from an image of a grain of pepper (x405) to a flu virus (x222,200). There is even the very first photograph of a (simulated) sneeze taken by Thomas Edison in 1888.

The first half of the book is about the many stimuli that induce sneezing, and this is followed by an explanation of how the nerves and muscles work to produce the explosive outburst of a sneeze. There is also a section on fascinating sneeze lore, reminding us to cover our noses and mouths when sneezing-and to wash our hands afterward. Finally, there is a page explaining how the micrographs are produced, a list of resources, and an excellent glossary.

Teachers will find this book to be a natural kick-off to a health unit or useful as an introduction to a study of neurons. Elementary teachers will want to read part of it to students, giving the youngsters plenty of time to ask questions. Students will want to revisit Sneeze! again and again, to enjoy pictures of children like themselves (oh-oh a pillow fight!). It may stimulate an interest in microphotography or interest students in how electrical impulses travel along nerves. Among the very best of science books for kids, this book is nothing to sneeze at!" --- National Science Teachers Association 9/17/07