Human Bodies Topic (KS1)

The Body Book aims to help children aged 4-7 to explore some of the incredible things that our bodies do. This is an engaging non-fiction board book containing see-through acetate pages, allowing an x-ray peek into the human anatomy. Each page covers a different function of the human body, from breathing air and pumping blood to moving around and – yes – making waste. With labelled acetate diagrams of the muscular, skeletal, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, excretory and nervous systems, this is a superb first look at human anatomy for young children. The smallest readers will enjoy running their fingers along the acetate diagrams, tracing blood vessels or touching the familiar outlines of the skeleton. Older KS1 children will find plenty of food for thought among the pockets of interesting information that outline the processes of each of the body’s major systems…

It’s not easy to find top-quality non-fiction books for the youngest children, especially those children who genuinely love to learn facts but are not ready for dense paragraphs of text.

DK’s My Very Important Human Body Encyclopedia is perfect for the job – a fantastic non-fiction guide, making the human body’s complexities fascinating for young readers. It clearly explains everything from bones to brains with accessibility.

Packed with interesting visuals and digestible facts, it hits the spot for young children wanting to learn more about what goes on inside the human body. This superb resource, like the rest of the My Very Important series, helps young children to understand the world around them and enjoy reading early information texts.

‘The Super Skeleton’ is an engaging and accessible non-fiction book that’s perfect for younger children learning about the human body. While many books on the subject are often aimed at older readers, this book presents the fascinating world of skeletons in a way that’s simple, fun, and easy to understand for primary school children.

The book is a fantastic resource for the human body topic, offering clear, colourful pictures and diagrams that bring the skeleton to life. The simple yet effective text introduces key scientific vocabulary, helping young learners build their knowledge in an approachable way. Brief definitions of important terms on some pages further enhance the learning experience, making this a great resource for reinforcing core concepts.

Overall, ‘The Super Skeleton’ is a wonderful, child-friendly introduction to the world of bones and bodies, making it an ideal choice for teachers and parents looking to introduce children to science in a fun and informative way.

This book is a fantastic resource with something in it for all primary-school-aged children. The topics are varied – from telling the children what a body is and naming parts of the body, to specific chapters on the heart, lungs, five senses etc. The book is aimed at children from 4+ and would suit this age group well.

Many of the pages contain technical vocabulary but are aimed at Reception and KS1. The explanations and text are very clear but there is also a further level of detail to explore for those children who are interested in science or the human body, or for older children who will still get something from the book.

The illustrations in the book are simple and very effective. They are clearly labelled and easy for children to understand. All in all, this book is perfect for a classroom non-fiction collection.

If you’ve ever made a New Year’s resolution to improve your fitness or get outside more, you might just relate to the journey of this hilarious spud.

With everything he needs within arm’s reach of the sofa, this potato has it all – multiple TV screens, hundreds of video games and even a button that activates a snack-fetching gadget. He can’t see any reason at all to leave the couch… until the electricity cuts out. The potato steps foot outside and embarks upon a new-found appreciation of fresh air, exercise and the sounds and sights of the great outdoors. After some deep introspection, the potato sets himself a resolution to achieve a better balance between screentime and time enjoying the outdoor world.

This is a really funny book and is always a winner with children. As well as guaranteeing giggles, this story can provide an opportunity to reflect on healthy lifestyles, screentime limits and personal resolutions.

Adam Kay’s ‘Amy Gets Eaten’ is a gruesome yet hilarious book explaining what happens in our bodies when we eat food. Despite getting eaten, Amy (a positive and chirpy piece of sweetcorn), explains in child-friendly language the journey she takes from the mouth, through the stomach and out again into the toilet. Although told in a narrative style, this is really a non-fiction book that teaches children the science behind some of our human anatomy.

Throughout the story, while travelling through the small intestine, a wise old raisin teaches the reader how different food types help to make your body strong, active and healthy. The children get opportunities to interact with the book and recap, through cartoons, where the sweetcorn has travelled. Readers are also invited to make opinions on the strange food combinations the character of Noah has chosen to eat. My children have read this over and over, and every storytime ends in fits of laughter—a highly recommended short picture book for younger primary children.

This book will appeal to many children in EYFS and Key Stage 1. Often in these years, children are growing at different rates which sometimes leaves some children inevitably smaller than others. Children will quickly identify with the hero of the narrative. This book captures that feeling so well and does so with great humour that will appeal to young readers. The use of rhyme brings the story to life and enables the listener to be carried along. It also makes it a fabulous read aloud that children will be able to predict and join in with as they become familiar with it. The illustrations capture the child’s expressions so well: expressions that range from frustration and anger to happiness.

The simple message of the book about friendship and the uniqueness and specialness of each of us, is one that children can’t hear enough. The illustrations offer plenty to explore beyond the story itself and add a further dimension to the story. There is ample opportunity to pause and discuss the feelings of the character, particularly when his teddy bear is stuck on the branch that is too high for him to reach, as well as giving children the chance to reflect on his ‘schemes’ to ‘grow tall quick’! This is a great accompaniment to the author’s (Laura Ellen Anderson) book in the same vein, ‘I don’t want curly hair’. This is a delightful story for young children.

The book is perfect for an Early Years classroom library or would support an All About Me topic, linking with Knowledge and Understanding of the world (Science) and Maths.

The story introduces children to concepts for different types of non-standard measurement, facts about the five senses and interesting information about the human body related to measurement, for example, the smallest and largest bones in the body. The height chart at the back was a bonus and is also full of facts, which, when put on the wall, facilitated a lot of comparative language conversations in the classroom between children about their height.

The diverse illustrations include a child with a walking frame, a girl with a head scarf and a child with a tracheostomy collar. The number of opportunities to be curious is maximised in this book- a book that we will come back to again and again for sure!

Funnybones follows the adventures of a well-loved family of skeletons.

These classic stories are full of humour and provide a great curriculum link into finding out about what lies inside the human body, or simply to read for the sheer delight of enjoying the characters and their night time adventures.

This is a funny tale about learning to be happy with what we have. The story focuses on a young girl with gorgeous, curly hair that she hates. The story details all the different ways she tries to make her hair straight, from weighing her hair down with books to getting her friends to stretch it out.

Laura Ellen Anderson uses a range of descriptive details to bring the hair to life. The main character eventually meets another girl who is equally upset because she doesn’t like her hair, which is straight and won’t curl. This girl then explains all the ways she has tried to make her hair curl without any success. The two help each other to realise that the hair they have is beautiful and they should love what they have.

The story is positive and empowering and a wonderful message for children as they grow up and learn to accept who they are and celebrate differences too. The illustrations and comic aspects of the story just add to the impact on the reader.  A highly recommendable book.

Zuri loves her beautiful hair. Even though it has a mind of its own, it lets her feel like a superhero. Mum usually styles Zuri’s hair, but one day Mum is away and Daddy has to step in and create a wonderful hairstyle for her – with plenty of help from Zuri. This is a lovely story showcasing a tender father-daughter relationship and encouraging young readers to love the hair they have just as much as Zuri does.