This well-meaning introduction to physical fitness and the workings of the human body bounces around thematically rather like the two children on pogo sticks shown on the cover, without addressing the crux of the matter: kids who don’t exercise are likely to be overweight. Smiling children of different ethnic backgrounds are shown engaging in a variety of recreational activities and sports, interwoven with text that first cheerfully extols the value of exercise and then explains the major systems of the body. A full-page diagram illustrates each system (skeleton, muscles, lungs, etc.), including basic information and additional interesting facts. A concluding double spread shows a grid with children in 40 different activities that promote “busy bodies.” The back matter includes two pages of exercise guidelines and an author’s note to parents and teachers addressing the epidemic of childhood obesity. Although Rockwell avoids some touchy areas in the text, her introduction to this complex subject may be a useful springboard for discussion, especially in elementary classrooms. (Nonfiction. 5-9)
