Unique Children’s Books About the Human Body
I’m pretty pumped about this week’s post. Many children’s books about the human body can seem a lot the same- discussing the basic body systems, cells, etc. These are important conversations to have, as a child learns to understand their own body and how to take care of it, but to be honest, the books can be pretty dry. That’s why I am so excited to be sharing these books. They are inquisitive, playful, and make kids think. They engage and discuss body systems that you can’t usually find in other books like glands, lymphnodes, pancreas and kidney function, and the process of diagnosing a body issue.
While all of them are on the more wordy side, they are great for kids in upper elementary or middle school. All three of my kids (8, 12, and 15) were interested in them, but my 8 year old needed a little help getting through some of the text. I highly recommend that they get added to every children’s hospital library, some make great waiting room books, and I could definitely see some of them being great classroom additions.
So read below to find which of these books would be best for your kids (or all 4). As always, if you purchase through the links below, I do get a small commission, but I also encourage to find them in your local library or small book store. Enjoy!
Everything You Know About the Human Body is Wrong by Emma Young
This book takes on several common thoughts about health and explains why they are wrong by talking about the science behind them. If your child loves to be stubborn or prove people wrong, this book could be fun for them. It also explains a lot of health issues that are not explained in other body books including: the bacterias that live in our body (that isn’t human!), new organs including the thymus gland, interstitium, and salivary glands, being double-jointed, how our body processes sugar, hypnotism (including a simple activity try hypnosis for pain), how you know if a body is dead (this one could be a little alarming as it talks about situations when it is hard to tell), facial expressions and reading other people, senses beyond the common 5, advanced brain concepts, your appendix’s job, why we sleep, and a lot more! Great book for upper elementary school kids and middle school. Likely better read in chunks instead of all at once.
https://amzn.to/4eHTdYz
Diagnosis Detectives: Tummy Trouble by Terri Po
The book cutely explains illness in the format of detective immune system cells trying to figure out what is making a child sick. It talks about various symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and fever, and it talks about potential suspects like norovirus, food intolerance, and gastroenteritis. The book also includes hands-on experiments about germs. The book is full of fun illustrations and clever storytelling. This book is great for kids in middle elementary through middle school. It is a little wordy for a read aloud, but I think it could be great on an optional reading shelf for all science teachers or school nurses. Could be great in a doctor's waiting room or home shelf, as it teaches kids about how diagnosing is like solving a mystery.
https://amzn.to/4boxRx0
What if… You Didn’t Make Snot? And Other Amazing Human Body Questions by Emma Young
This book cleverly engages kids to learn about the body by coming up with weird sometimes gross “what if”s. Each page spread asks a ‘what if’ question like what if you could take off your skin?/what if you took a bath in pee?/what if you were allergic to water?/what if you couldn’t fart/etc. Then it explains lots of aspects of the human body that would have to do with the outcome of the question. It also adds in some funny engaging stat and tries to reason an answer to the weird questions. Kids in middle elementary through middle school would likely enjoy learning in this style. Throughout the entire book, it talks about most of the organs and systems that make up the body… just not in the normal format of most body books.
https://amzn.to/4eWWiCY
The Gland Factory: A Tour of Your Body’s Goops, Juices, and Hormones by Rachel Poliquin
This book is about all of the body’s glands - a topic you almost never find. The book uses the analogy of a factory, explaining the body’s many glands as all working in different ways to help the body factory. The illustrations are based on this analogy and are cute and engaging. This book explains so many things ignored in other books including a variety of hormones and body processes. I think many school aged or middle school aged kids would enjoy this book, but it is especially great if you are looking for a way to talk about salivary glands, nasal glands, lacrimal glands, hypothalamus, endocrine glands, different kinds of cells, pituitary gland and hormones, urine and anti-diuretic hormone, nerves, pancreas functions, ear wax, and the pineal gland. All hospitals should have one on hand! Adults will learn while reading this fun educational book with kids.
https://amzn.to/44aL6xp
