The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers

Ages 7 to 11, Grades 2 to 7

A perfect book for engaging kids in STEM: This illustrated tour of our “leftover” body parts (like the appendix, or even goosebumps) introduces readers age 7-11 to the bizarre and fascinating science of evolution.

Welcome to the weirdest museum you’ll ever explore—the one inside your body. Did you know your amazing, incredible body is a walking, talking museum of evolution? In The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers, tour guides Wisdom Tooth and Disappearing Kidney lead readers through a wacky museum dedicated to vestigial structures: body parts that were essential to our ancestors but are no longer useful to us—even though they’re still hanging around. From goosebumps and hiccups to exploding organs and monkey muscles, each room in the museum shows us that these parts have stories to tell us about our past. By the time we make it to the gift shop, we’ll understand that evolution is not only messy and imperfect, but also ongoing. Our bodies are constantly changing along with the environment we live in—and there’s so much that is still unknown, just waiting to be discovered. Engaging, hilarious, and a visual treat, The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers is a place you’ll want to visit again and again.

About the Author

Rachel Poliquin is a writer engaged in all things orderly and disorderly in the natural world. She is the author of the Superpower Field Guide series, and has also written for Science Friday, The Believer Magazine, and the New York Times. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.Clayton Hanmer (aka CTON) has illustrated several children's books, including Trending: How and Why Stuff Gets Popular and Dog vs Ultra Dog. His award-winning comic art has also appeared in, among others, National Geographic Kids, the New York Times, and Today’s Parent. He lives in Bloomfield, Ontario.