ALA Booklist (Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 1991)

A new edition of a useful Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Book, originally published in 1965 and illustrated by Paul Galdone, features change both in text and artwork. A friendly young narrator (in the new edition, he's a freckle-faced blond) once again delivers the information in a pleasantly straightforward fashion. Footprints are no longer mentioned in the discussion, but the selection of simple experiments to explore skin reactions (tickle a friend with a feather, etc.) has been preserved, and a reference to using sunscreen has been added. Full-color artwork, in which cherublike children pursue various activities, certainly makes this edition more appealing than its predecessor. The new page design is busy but agreeably so--Kuchera's pictures offer more story than did Galdone's, which served mainly to back up the text. Ethnic diversity among the kids is achieved through skin-color variations, and girls are now included as story participants. (Reviewed Oct. 15, 1991)

Horn Book

For young readers, a simple introduction to the basic properties of skin. The colorful but bland illustrations of four children depict a carefully chosen spectrum of race and gender.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-- New illustrations and some careful text revision have given this 1965 basic introduction to the skin and its functions a much needed update. From the cover, which now features several children frolicking in the water rather than a rear view of three shirtless boys, to the highly appealing page layouts, this book proves far superior to its predecessor. A token girl has been added to the cast of main characters, although she is still outnumbered, three to one. The four take turns presenting different aspects of the skin, such as pigment and melanin, cuts and healing, fingerprints, and the sense of touch. Ink-and-watercolor illustrations are lively and vibrant, in direct contrast to the former black, white, and gold drawings. Changes in the text are minimal. More significant is the way in which it has been rearranged. Passages have been moved, regrouped, and elaborated upon, improving the flow of the story line. Page setup has gone from lines of sentences to paragraphs, resulting in a more readable style. The book should be given strong consideration as either a new or replacement copy.-- Denise L. Moll, Lone Pine School, Bloomfield Hills, MI