Betty and Sam, nine-year-old friends, are given a project by their grumpy teacher, Miss Broadchalk: WHAT MAKES US HUMAN BEINGS? They begin to grapple with the challenge by observing nature all around them and conclude that animals do everything better than we humans. Downhearted, they seek help from Betty's uncle, Professor Humphrey Tanglewire, a retired inventor. His enthusiasm cheers them up, and he gives them the key word - "HANDS" - and 12 questions to answer. Betty and Sam then enter upon a journey of exploration of the structure and function of the human hand as compared with animal...

Betty and Sam, nine-year-old friends, are given a project by their grumpy teacher, Miss Broadchalk: WHAT MAKES US HUMAN BEINGS? They begin to grapple with the challenge by observing nature all around them and conclude that animals do everything better than we humans. Downhearted, they seek help from Betty's uncle, Professor Humphrey Tanglewire, a retired inventor. His enthusiasm cheers them up, and he gives them the key word - "HANDS" - and 12 questions to answer. Betty and Sam then enter upon a journey of exploration of the structure and function of the human hand as compared with animal...