Tony the Torso was a curious young boy, always wondering how he could toss a ball or run fast. But one day, he had a new question: How do I breathe?

His mother, a doctor, smiled and said, 'Let's explore how your lungs work!' She showed him a picture of lungs, like two pink sponges inside the chest.

She explained, 'When you breathe in, your lungs fill with air just like balloons.' Tony imagined his chest inflating with two small balloons.

'This air goes in through your nose or mouth, down a tube called the trachea and into your lungs,' she said, pointing to the diagram.

'Inside your lungs are tiny air sacs where oxygen goes into the blood, and CO2 leaves,' explained Mom. 'It's like a trade at the market!'

'Your diaphragm, a muscle below the lungs, moves down to make room when you breathe in,' continued her mother, guiding his hand to feel his stomach.

Mom showed Tony a diagram of muscles around the lungs. 'These are the intercostal muscles that help your chest expand and contract,' she explained.

'So when you breathe out, your diaphragm relaxes, and your chest gets smaller, pushing air out of your lungs,' Tony's mom concluded with a smile.

Wanting to understand more, Tony asked, 'But why do I need to breathe?' His mother replied, 'Breathing gives your body oxygen, which is like fuel for your cells!'

'Without oxygen, we can't create the energy we need to play and grow,' she added. Tony jumped up, amazed by how his body worked.

As Tony went outside to play, he took a deep breath and thanked his lungs, diaphragm, and muscles for their hard work with every breath.

'Now I know how important it is to take care of my lungs by staying healthy,' thought Tony, smiling as he ran across the field feeling alive with each breath.