The history of a mouthful of bread

A series of illustrated, child-directed essays traces the journey of a mouthful of food through the body, explaining mechanical and chemical digestion, absorption, circulation, respiration, and heat production in clear, age-appropriate language. Early chapters examine the mouth, teeth, throat, stomach, intestines, liver, chyle, blood and organs; subsequent chapters address arterial and venous systems, the action of the lungs, atmospheric pressure, combustion, and the roles of carbon and oxygen. A second part compares feeding and digestive systems across animal groups and concludes by describing how plants obtain nourishment, connecting individual physiology to natural classification.