LOBE YOUR BRAIN

An overview of the brain and nervous system.

Two narrators—one brown-skinned, one pale—in lab coats give a “tour” of the brain’s structure, particularly its four lobes: occipital, temporal, parietal, and frontal. In speech-balloon dialogue, they begin by exploring the interaction between the brain and spinal cord, likening the spinal cord to “a busy highway” that transmits sensory information to the brain, which in turn directs the body to dance to music or to “move your brother’s arm away when he touches you…again!” Kid-friendly examples abound as they trace the brain’s various parts, and the bright, geometric uncredited illustrations cheerfully—if stiffly—depict racially diverse kids engaging in fun activities courtesy of their brains. The cerebellum helps with shoe-tying and bike riding. The occipital lobe sees colors and movement “like movies or a bike zooming by”; the temporal lobe learns new facts and remembers existing information, like “the name of your best friend’s dog.” The parietal lobe handles sensory information; the frontal lobe controls movement and decisions: “Should you clean up your toys or continue playing video games?” The limbic system helps readers figure out “which feelings [they’d] rather have” about those decisions. The tour ends rather abruptly, with the narrators encouraging readers to “LOBE” their “big, beautiful” brains. Disappointingly, neurodivergence and disability go unmentioned, which may leave neurodivergent readers wondering where their brains fit in.

A matter-of-fact introduction to typical brains.