THE GLAND FACTORY

An unforgettable chance to “never think about snot or pee or doughnuts the same way again.”

The creators responsible for The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers (2022) offer insights into glands, those often unacknowledged cells and organs responsible for everything from sleep to hunger and beyond. Poliquin and Hanmer present the human body as a sprawling factory populated by tiny hard-hatted boss and deputy glands, who offer a tour. Their spiel produces a lot of text in small type, but it’s filled with humor, rewarding persistent readers. Poliquin helpfully explains the two types of glands, endocrine (or messengers) and exocrine (or “goop” glands). Along the way, she and Hanmer employ enjoyably gross and downright clever visual metaphors: Our nasal glands are described as the “snot shower,” a gauge measures saliva levels (from “dry” to “saliva tsunami”), and workers on an assembly line, receiving messages from the hypothalamus, are diligently portrayed sorting and sending out the right hormones. Fresh, unpretentious, and often funny language (“strange lumps and squeezy passages”) accurately conveys gland functions. Even the most complicated processes—for instance, how the autonomic nervous system responds to panic-inducing situations—get clear and thorough explanations. Spotting the rude graffiti left by gleefully disruptive concealed germs adds extra pizzazz, especially when pathogens attempt a takeover of the digestion department. Hints at future volumes raise hopes of more in this excellent educational series.

Another creative, informative, and entertaining STEM romp from a winning team.