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Your Brain Is a Lump of Goo

Feb3
Your Brain Is a Lump of Goo

Your Brain Is a Lump of Goo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Brain Is a Lump of Goo

Idan Ben-Barak

Christopher Nielsen

A & U Children’s, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761180156

Sitting safely inside your skull, behind your eyes so you can’t see it is a pineapple-sized lump of goo – your brain. And while everyone else also has a brain, and theirs does many of the things yours does, yours is unique and is the part of you that makes you, you. 

Idan Ben-Barak has a unique way of introducing young readers to the various parts of their body – Argh! There’s a Skeleton Inside You – as well as other topics like the origins of life on Earth and microbes amongst others and this is no exception. Using a mix of clever illustrations, well-chosen language and layout young readers learn about some of the things their brain does and why it is the most essential part of them so they need to protect -cue lesson on the importance of wearing a helmet- and the new suggested protocols for concussion in sports.  The continuing reference to the pineapple adds humour and, all in all, this is a very readable, very accessible introduction to this vital organ, and even moreso if your curriculum has a focus on teaching students about how they learn.

Amazing Bodies

Jan28
Amazing Bodies

Amazing Bodies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing Bodies

Dr Ronx

Ashton Attz

Farshore, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

 9780008520892

From the super skin that keeps your insides in tp moving muscles to the waste products the body generates, this is a guide to the human body for young independent readers who want to know more about theirs.

With bright illustrations and easy to read text, each double spread offers basic facts about the various body parts and their functions so the reader can learn how they work and why each part is intimately connected to the well-being of the others.

This is a new series called Little Experts designed to introduce 6-9 year olds to the world around them by having experts in the field share their knowledge. While the experts themselves are mainly UK based and so their names are not as familiar here, nevertheless having titles about everyday things that our little ones are curious about and pitched at their level can only be a positive addition to  non fiction collections.

 

Chico the Schnauzer

Jan21
Chico the Schnauzer

Chico the Schnauzer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chico the Schnauzer

Taryn Brumfitt

Puffin, 2024

24pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761343988

Chico the Schnauzer has a very distinctive appearance with his salt-and-pepper coat, cheeky eyebrows, fabulous moustache, and really big beard.  He loves anything that starts with ch, particularly Chelsea and Charlie and when they go to work in the morning, he likes to stand at the gate and say hello to all his friends.  But one day, when the gate is left open, he ventures through it and goes to play with them all.  Susie the Sausage Dog, Penelope the Poodle and Digby the Dalmatian and all the others invite him to play with them and Chico is amazed at how different they are and how well they can do certain things – many of which he finds a bit tricky.  

But instead of envying them their skills, he is proud of what he can do and shares his talents with them.  At the end of the day, he is tired but happy because he knows that everyone is different and that he has his special talents too.

Author of Embrace Your Body,  and 2023 Australian of the Year, Taryn Brumfitt has been recognised around the world for her efforts in getting people, especially young ones to not only accept who they are and what they look like but to celebrate it, and this book follows that theme.  Chico admires what his doggy pals can do but also shows his strengths as well.  It’s a message our young readers need to hear over and over it seems, as anxiety levels continue to grow as expectations seem to compound.  They are invited to reflect on what their ‘AH-MAZING’ bodies can do and share this. Perhaps an opportunity for a photo display of each class member’s unique skills as part of the the customary getting-to-know-us activities for the new school year. 

All You Need to Know about Your Body by Age 7

Oct22
All You Need to Know about Your Body by Age 7

All You Need to Know about Your Body by Age 7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All You Need to Know about Your Body by Age 7

Alice James

Stefano Tognetti

Usborne, 2023

80pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781803701639

Children are not very old before they start asking questions about their bodies – what it can do, what makes it work, why it looks the way it does, how it grows and why it changes.

In this new release most of their questions are answered and with a cast of comical bugs to guide readers, activities to try at home, and links to further resources online so they can explore further, it is pitched at just the right level for those asking those initial questions. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

 

 

Covering topics such as the outside of the boy, the inside, breathing, blood circulation, as well as an emphasis on staying healthy – “Your body belongs to YOU.  It’s your job to look after it and be kind to it, throughout your life” – . it will satisfy the normal curiosity of young readers while enabling those with more questions to learn more if they choose.  As is usual with Usborne publications, this is another quality resource that has a place in any library – home or school.

Questions & Answers About Growing Up For Boys and Girls

Aug27
Questions & Answers About Growing Up For Boys and Girls

Questions & Answers About Growing Up For Boys and Girls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions & Answers About Growing Up For Boys and Girls

Joanna Cole

Bill Thomas

Farshore, 2023

96pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9780008587871

Fifty years ago, in 1973, Peter Mayle and Arthur Robins collaborated on two books that provided answers (with illustrations) on many of the questions that children have about growing up, body changes and their own origins.  And Where Did I Come From? and What’s Happening to Me?  were so revolutionary at the time that they are still in print, recognisable  and readily available today because there is still a need for them. 

Questions about puberty, sex, and transitioning into adulthood will always exist, and given the fuss made about a recently released book written for teens and the banning of so many similar titles in so many states in the USA, it is clearly a topic that many parents are still not comfortable discussing with their children. What we used to learn behind the shelter sheds in the school playgrounds is now available everywhere just by watching a movie, television or an internet search, and there is no guarantee that what is learned is accurate or healthy.

And so, no-nonsense, factual books such as this new one from experts in relationships and sex education remain a necessity in library collections so that our children can learn and know for themselves.  While the average age for girls to start puberty is 11, while for boys the average age is 12., it’s perfectly normal for puberty to begin at any point between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 9 and 14 in boys and thus this book has a place on primary school shelves as well as this blog.  Using a Q&A format it covers the usual areas of the changes that boys and girls will experience but also touches on issues such as gender identity and contraception, the explanations being factual and straight-forward so that not only are the questions shown to be common and normal but also the answers and actions.  Children experiencing the changes and wondering what’s happening do not need to feel alone, abnormal or even dirty, and thus, they can understand that they are just like everyone else about the same age, but they have the advantage of knowledge.

For those born in a time when babies came from the cabbage patch or were delivered by a stork, when homosexuality was a criminal offence with an attached jail term, and the only source of information was from behind those shelter sheds, the normalisation of the conversations these days may seem strange and hence the actions in those US states where teachers and school librarians can face criminal charges for sharing books like this (or even having them in the collection) but IMO, the more information our children can access the better and so this is an important addition to your 612.6 section.

 

 

Poo Face

May31
Poo Face

Poo Face

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poo Face

Andrew Daddo

Jonathan Bentley

Puffin, 2023

24pp., hbk., RRP $A17.99

9781761045776

We’ve all got one because we all do one. Every day.
Somedays twice a day. Somedays more.
Everyone has a poo face!

Whether it’s a dog or cat, a lion, an elephant, wombat, fish, giraffe or frog, they’ve all got a poo face – even you! 

Written to encourage little ones who are being toilet trained, this book with hilarious illustrations from Jonathan Bentley also has an important job of showing the little person that this is a normal and necessary bodily function for every creature on earth. It shows that going to the toilet is an everyday occurrence for everybody and everything and is a necessary part of being healthy, sparking conversations about the digestive system and how it works. It also shows that even though the little one may have been met with cries and faces of shock and horror when they produce a dirty nappy, that is not condemnation (as some seem to think and thus feel ashamed) but just something that is essential for our health and well-being.   By normalising it in this way, the stigma that has been attached to getting rid of body waste for centuries as though it is something nasty and naughty may be diminished so that if there is a change in the habit or the product, it can be addressed without embarrassment. 

Often what seems to be a simple picture book can have a far-reaching impact – and this is one of those.  

The Yawn Book

May19

The Yawn Book

The Yawn Book

 

The Yawn Book

Diana Kim

HarperCollins, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

9780358525936

Yawning: Everyone does it. But no one knows why. The one thing for certain about this book is that you will yawn while it is being read.  

Scientists have studied when we yawn – it starts at about 12-14 weeks in the womb –  and how often but they still don’t know why.  Is it because our brains need extra oxygen, or because we are changing from one state of mind to another, or because it cools the brain by bringing cold air into our bodies?  And why is the act so contagious? 

While the big question remains unanswered despite the brightest minds trying, there are many other questions that are explored and explained in this fascinating non fiction book for young readers which combines accessible text with appealing artwork.  Did you know that mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and fish yawn but insects don’t? What’s the common element between those creatures that do? Does that has something to do with it?  Maybe it will be a reader who discovers the answer! 

It is books like these that provide the strongest evidence and justification for having a robust print non fiction collection in the primary school library at least.  It even has a formal ‘sources cited’ bibliography for further exploration, although none of those would be in a school library – the author has done the research and distilled the information into child-friendly language and explanation.  

One to pair with Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book for some fun-filled fact-finding!

Step Inside Science Human Body

Mar30
Step Inside Science Human Body

Step Inside Science Human Body

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step Inside Science: Human Body

Lara Bryan

Teresa Bellon

Usborne, 2023

14pp., board book, RRP $A19.99

9781474998864

Did you know that it takes about a minute for your blood to do a loop of your body? Or that there are special juices in your tummy that turn anything you eat into mush?

These are the sorts of things that young readers can learn in this interactive book from Usborne as they take a journey through their body so they can discover how thousands of pieces of it work together in harmony to make them, them and us, us. The board book format offers opportunities for peek-a-boo illustrations and lift-the-flap discoveries so young readers are engaged and keen to learn more.  And, as usual with Usborne publications, there are pre-selected Quicklinks so they can learn more and get involved in activities.  

 

The Big Story of Being Alive

Mar5
The Big Story of Being Alive

The Big Story of Being Alive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Big Story of Being Alive

Neal Layton

Wren & Rook, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781526362650 

What does it mean to be alive? The three things that are agreed on to define “alive” are that all living things grow, reproduce and they are made of trillions of tiny, but critically important, organisms called cells.  It is how these cells combine and work together that gives each living  thing its unique characteristics. 

Young readers can find out what a cell is and why they are important, including how they themselves start as two cells from their parents, in this engaging, fact-filled book written to entertain as well as educate.  Readers will empathise with the little robot who is not alive, but who, in the end would like to be because of all the things it means it could do.  In the past, and perhaps still, the foundation science unit for our youngest students was to distinguish between those things that were alive and those that weren’t beginning their understanding of comparing, contrasting and classifying and so this would be a great starting point to help them understand why there are differences, rather than just that there are.  They could use what they learn to develop a set of questions based on the criteria for being alive and then examine those things around them to see which they satisfy.  Perhaps it will start them on a lifelong journey of scientific discoveries. 

 

 

Sleep Through the Night

Jan14
Sleep Through the Night

Sleep Through the Night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sleep Through the Night

Byll & Beth Stephen

Simon Howe

ABC Books, 2022

24pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9780733342707

Some species sleep wherever they choose to roam,
but human beings sleep the very best when they are home.

Sometimes getting little ones to settle to sleep in the evening can be overwhelming and frustrating, and so this is an interesting book to share with them that shows not only why we need to sleep but that all species do, even if their habits are different to humans.

From the creators of the important books Boss of Your Own Body, it gently explains that sleeping is an important part of growing and thus might be more effective than a brusque goodnight and a firm door-closing. Sometimes knowing why is all the reassurance a child needs.