The concept for Earthlings is inventive and irresistible: an alien named Danoid accidentally lands on earth where he encounters a novel and intriguing life form – human beings. With permission from his commander, he promises to study an individual specimen – a 10-year-old-boy – in depth, and to send regular reports back to his planet describing the subject.

Using a combination of prodding, scanning, X-ray vision, and regular consultations with an EARTHDATABANK, Danoid communicates many stunning observations about this seemingly familiar creature. The boy’s brain, for instance, looks like a walnut, feels like jelly, and weighs as much as a small cabbage. Most fun for the reader are Danoid’s innocently amusing questions and demands: “Where is your CPU?”
“My what?”
“Your Central Processing Unit. The unit that runs your systems.”
“Oh – you mean my brain.” Pete pointed to his head. “It’s in here.”
“Remove it for viewing, please.”

Logically connected chapters peer into the human skeleton, digestive and muscular systems, circulation, senses, and so on.

There is a wide variety to the level of material in Earthlings. It ranges from light, humorous description to diagrams with words like sternocleidomastoid. Many kids will never get to the details – however clear, helpful and distinctly non-textbook those words and pictures are – and that’s okay. Most of the book’s illustrations and text are perfectly age appropriate. As an added bonus, there are wonderful hands-on activities scattered throughout. What children wouldn’t like to measure their brain speed or determine how much air they breathe? Earthlings is a grand introduction to the wonder and magic of the workings of the human body, cleverly presented in a creative and innovative format.