Digestion! the Musical

by Adam Rex (Author) Laura Park (Illustrator)

Digestion! the Musical
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body meets Hamilton in this hilarious picture book about the most basic process of the human body: digesting food!

Candy's made it. She's finally here: the human body! This intrepid sweet treat meets each of the human body's organs as she approaches her "big break" being successfully digested! Here is the scientific process of digestion as you've never seen it before--told through a musical, with Candy in the role of the small-town kid who wants to make it big, the baby carrots as the Greek chorus narrating all the action, and cameos from every body part that plays an important role in transforming food from ingredients to nutrition.

From beloved duo Adam Rex and Laura Park comes a genuinely educational, laugh-out-loud Broadway musical of a book about an epic adventure through the human body, from bite to bottom.

REAL SCIENCE PRESENTED IN A FUN WAY: The text has countless facts about the human body, teaches readers how the body works, and includes all kinds of "teachable moments."

GLOSSARY: A glossary in the back explains the function of all organs we encounter in the book.

ENCOURAGES CREATIVITY: The book is an invented fable and will make kids excited to write their own fables or musicals.

OUTRAGEOUSLY FUNNY: The over-the-top humor is perfect for fans of Goodnight Already!, The Day the Crayons Quit, and the Mother Bruce series.

POPULAR AUTHOR: Acclaimed kids book creator Adam Rex is known for his funny and smart books. The winner of countless state list awards, Rex is the author of beloved books including, On Account of The Gum, Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, School's First Day of School, and many more.

Perfect for: Fans of Adam Rex Parents and grandparents Teachers and librarians

Select format:
Hardcover
$16.99

Kirkus

Starred Review
This showstopper gives the purposes and processes of digestion the lavish, glitzy production they deserve, from teeth to toilet...[Digestion! The Musical is] certain to receive thunderous ovations.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

If Alexander Hamilton can have his own hit musical, why shouldn't the digestive system, too? The protagonist of this picture book is round, bright pink ingenue Li'l Candy, "junk food" with a "heart of gold," who dreams of being eaten. Her story is elucidated by a Greek chorus of baby carrots ("Peristalsis squeezing has her easing toward the tummy./ But by golly! All this teasing sure can make a crumb feel crummy"). The human body's disdain for Candy ("Empty calories! You'll never make anything of yourself here!") provides big-city-level conflict, at last resolved when Candy's coating melts away and reveals she's a peanut with some nutritional value. Cue the final showstopper (and surefire reader favorite), featuring a mirrorball-style toilet: "Get. This. Potty. Started./ Everybody Pants Down!" The jewel-toned digital artwork spotlights Broadway gloss and Andrew Lloyd Webber-spoofing visual drama, with frequent cues to turn the book sideways for vertical views of Candy's journey. Featuring verve aplenty, it's another boffo hit by collaborators Rex and Park (Unstoppable). Ages 5-8. Agent (for Rex and Park): Steven Malk, Writers House. (Oct.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes




Adam Rex
Adam Rex is the author and illustrator of many beloved books, including the New York Times bestseller Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich. He has illustrated the work of many authors, including Jon Scieszka, Mac Barnett, Jeff Kinney, Kate DiCamillo, Eoin Colfer, Christopher Paul Curtis, Paul Feig, and Neil Gaiman. He lives in Tucson, Arizona. See more about him at adamrex.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781452183862
Lexile Measure
590
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Chronicle Books
Publication date
October 25, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV029000 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | General
JUV039090 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | New Experience
JUV009120 - Juvenile Fiction | Concepts | Body
Library of Congress categories
Humorous stories
Humorous fiction
Digestion
Digestive system
Digestive organs

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