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Usborne Beginners
Your Body
Have you ever wondered what’s inside you? Take a tour around your amazing body and find out what your heart and lungs do, how you see and hear, where food goes and more.
"No Key Stage 1 classroom should be without the whole set" - The Bookseller
32 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2016
9 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Turnbull
155 books10 followersStephanie is an children's book author and has written many non-fiction books for Usborne.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 18, 2010
This is a great book for little ones who are interested in learning more about the human body and its various functions. The illustrations are medically accurate but completely age appropriate. The focus of the book is on the inside of the body and how it works.
September 2, 2014
It's a starting point introducing young children to their bodies. I felt the text could have included more vocabulary related to appropriate terminology.
There were some highlights and fun facts included.
There were some highlights and fun facts included.
August 3, 2010
Wow! This is packed with really usable information. The illustrations make the text even more accessible. They have figured out how much to give a kid without overwhelming them. Love it.
January 17, 2011
Mark has this and it is one of his favorite books. It's got a great breakdown of the human body that a 4 year old can understand. 5 stars!!
March 18, 2023
It briefly talks about ligaments and completely ignores tendons. This bothers me.
March 5, 2024
This is a good elementary level book that provides a brief about the science.
December 31, 2025
i really enjoyed it
May 5, 2014
Summary: This book focuses on the amazing body and contains pages about the bony frame (skeleton), mighty muscles, breathing, powerful pump (heart), inside your head (brain), passing messages, eyes and seeing, ears and hearing, munching machine (mouth, teeth, and tongue), where food goes (stomach), water works (kidneys), outer covering (skin), and why your body goes under attack (germs). There are great facts, analogies, photos, diagrams, and pictures that work together to explain these amazing parts of the body.
Characteristics to Support Genre: This book uses several text features including a table of contents, diagrams, key facts, and a glossary to tell about the human body.
Concepts Integrated: text features, concept maps, body parts and their functions, graphic organizers – concept map, KWL chart, or lists
Other Suggestions that could be useful regarding literary content, reading level, and other ways in which the book might be integrated: K-2 readers
Language Arts/Art: Students could create comic strips to write short action scenes of them going through their days using body parts form the book. Here students can demonstrate their understanding for the body parts and their functions. They could also complete graphic organizer activities to assess prior knowledge and comprehension. Concept maps can be used to illustrate what students know about the human body already or they could make KWL charts to talk about what they know, what they want to know, and what they learned after reading the book. They could also write lists about things that they learned about each of the body parts. This book includes vocabulary words that students can practice using or spelling. They could also integrate vocabulary and art by creating diagrams of the body and labeling the parts focused on in the book.
Science: Students could connect their learning by comparing what they learn about their body parts to machines or ideas mentioned/illustrated in the text: rubber bands as muscles, tubes and bags for lungs, a pump for the heart, a postal service for the brain, a tube for the intestine, a strainer for the kidneys, etc.
Characteristics to Support Genre: This book uses several text features including a table of contents, diagrams, key facts, and a glossary to tell about the human body.
Concepts Integrated: text features, concept maps, body parts and their functions, graphic organizers – concept map, KWL chart, or lists
Other Suggestions that could be useful regarding literary content, reading level, and other ways in which the book might be integrated: K-2 readers
Language Arts/Art: Students could create comic strips to write short action scenes of them going through their days using body parts form the book. Here students can demonstrate their understanding for the body parts and their functions. They could also complete graphic organizer activities to assess prior knowledge and comprehension. Concept maps can be used to illustrate what students know about the human body already or they could make KWL charts to talk about what they know, what they want to know, and what they learned after reading the book. They could also write lists about things that they learned about each of the body parts. This book includes vocabulary words that students can practice using or spelling. They could also integrate vocabulary and art by creating diagrams of the body and labeling the parts focused on in the book.
Science: Students could connect their learning by comparing what they learn about their body parts to machines or ideas mentioned/illustrated in the text: rubber bands as muscles, tubes and bags for lungs, a pump for the heart, a postal service for the brain, a tube for the intestine, a strainer for the kidneys, etc.
January 23, 2024
"Your Body" by Stephanie Turnbull is an informative book aimed primarily at young readers. Turnbull takes on the complex subject of human anatomy and distills it into understandable and age-appropriate content that engages children who are beginning to learn about their bodies.
Each page of "Your Body" is thoughtfully laid out with colorful illustrations that complement the text well. The visual aids are not just appealing, but also serve an educational purpose by accurately depicting various organs and systems. This is crucial for visual learners who grasp concepts best through images. There is also a unique blend of comic-like illustrations and realistic graphics of the human body.
The language used by Turnbull is clear and straightforward, avoiding medical jargon that could confuse young readers. Her ability to explain concepts such as the circulatory system, the skeletal system, and the function of individual organs in simple terms is commendable. It allows children to build a good foundational knowledge of human biology.
One downside might be that the information, while accurate and well-presented, is quite basic. For young readers with a keen interest in science or those with advanced reading levels, "Your Body" might not be as satisfying due to its simplicity. However, this simplicity is also the book's strength for its intended audience.
In conclusion, Stephanie Turnbull's "Your Body" is a valuable resource for children who are curious about how their bodies work. The book is informative, engaging, and does an excellent job of communicating complex ideas in a way that is accessible to children. Highly recommended for parents and educators looking to introduce the wonders of the human body to their children or students.
Each page of "Your Body" is thoughtfully laid out with colorful illustrations that complement the text well. The visual aids are not just appealing, but also serve an educational purpose by accurately depicting various organs and systems. This is crucial for visual learners who grasp concepts best through images. There is also a unique blend of comic-like illustrations and realistic graphics of the human body.
The language used by Turnbull is clear and straightforward, avoiding medical jargon that could confuse young readers. Her ability to explain concepts such as the circulatory system, the skeletal system, and the function of individual organs in simple terms is commendable. It allows children to build a good foundational knowledge of human biology.
One downside might be that the information, while accurate and well-presented, is quite basic. For young readers with a keen interest in science or those with advanced reading levels, "Your Body" might not be as satisfying due to its simplicity. However, this simplicity is also the book's strength for its intended audience.
In conclusion, Stephanie Turnbull's "Your Body" is a valuable resource for children who are curious about how their bodies work. The book is informative, engaging, and does an excellent job of communicating complex ideas in a way that is accessible to children. Highly recommended for parents and educators looking to introduce the wonders of the human body to their children or students.
September 30, 2016
Brief Review:
This nonfiction, informational book describes the basic parts and functions of the human body. The author and the illustrator creatively use metaphors to explain some of the more complicated body functions. Tiny people are shown working inside the body as if it's a machine. This approach reminded me of the movie "Inside Out".
Content Areas:
This book is perfect for teaching young children how the human body functions. It would fit seamlessly into a discussion about the human body. The section on the skeletal and muscular systems could be used in a physical education setting. Students can be asked to think about what is going on inside their body while moving.
Comprehension Questions:
What can you tell me about the skeleton after reading this book? The skeleton acts as a frame for the body. A place where two bones meet is called a joint. The largest bone in the body is the femur.
We need oxygen to survive. How do we get oxygen into our body? We get oxygen by breathing air through our nose and mouth. Two spongy bags called lungs absorb the oxygen out of the air and put it into our blood stream.
Wonders:
I guess small children may wonder if there really are tiny people working inside their body.
I wonder why my stomach growls.
I wonder if people could live without bones.
This nonfiction, informational book describes the basic parts and functions of the human body. The author and the illustrator creatively use metaphors to explain some of the more complicated body functions. Tiny people are shown working inside the body as if it's a machine. This approach reminded me of the movie "Inside Out".
Content Areas:
This book is perfect for teaching young children how the human body functions. It would fit seamlessly into a discussion about the human body. The section on the skeletal and muscular systems could be used in a physical education setting. Students can be asked to think about what is going on inside their body while moving.
Comprehension Questions:
What can you tell me about the skeleton after reading this book? The skeleton acts as a frame for the body. A place where two bones meet is called a joint. The largest bone in the body is the femur.
We need oxygen to survive. How do we get oxygen into our body? We get oxygen by breathing air through our nose and mouth. Two spongy bags called lungs absorb the oxygen out of the air and put it into our blood stream.
Wonders:
I guess small children may wonder if there really are tiny people working inside their body.
I wonder why my stomach growls.
I wonder if people could live without bones.
October 24, 2011
This early learning book about the human body was a bit of a disappointment. Part of the problem is that the illustrations for the biological processes are not entirely realist. Instead, they contain what amounts to metaphors or comparisons to nonbiological processes. Unfortunately, many of those metaphors are allusions that children may not fully appreciate or understand -- introducing confusion rather than clarity. Also, the book ends with the immune system and the assertion that the body is always under attack. It would have been preferrable to end with the body's response to germs, rather than with emphasis on the germ attack. Maybe this is just a little too old for my almost four year old son, but it was not the preschool friendly explanation of the human body that I was looking for. It is definitely Usborne Level 2 -- not beginner.
May 2, 2013
This is a really fun book that looks at how our body's basic systems work. The illustrations demonstrate the systems in a quirky way (reminicent of "The Way Things Work" by David Macaulay). It really captivated my 6-year-old. The real body scans and close up pictures of nerves and white blood cells are pretty cool too. They even refer to websites at the back of the book to learn more about the body.
The book does end a bit abruptly, and while the illustrations are fun, they aren't realistic at all. Considering it's for the 6-8 age group, though, I don't think it needs to be a science textbook. I think they were really aiming at a FUN look at the body. More technical books can wait until later on, in my opinion.
This is a great basic book talking about the body. Usborne has done a great job!
The book does end a bit abruptly, and while the illustrations are fun, they aren't realistic at all. Considering it's for the 6-8 age group, though, I don't think it needs to be a science textbook. I think they were really aiming at a FUN look at the body. More technical books can wait until later on, in my opinion.
This is a great basic book talking about the body. Usborne has done a great job!
April 25, 2012
I like this book because it tells you about your seeing and stuff, and your eyes, and when you blink it wipes off water. You have about 60 face muscles. They let you make lots of expressions. Enamel is the hardest material in your body. Enamel is on the outside of your teeth and your teeth...they have roots that go deep into your gums.
Want to read
February 27, 2010Why did I not read this when we were studying the human body? Oh, because I forgot we own it. And that is why we're cataloging them now.
January 15, 2011
Great book for easily explaining what goes on in the body. Lungs, heart, brain, bones, muscle, etc.
My 4-year old easily followed.
My 4-year old easily followed.
October 19, 2014
It was pretty good for most of them he time. There was a little T.M.I.
July 24, 2018
Simple book gives basic details about commonly mentioned body parts such as the eye, muscles, and bones.
About 1-3 grade level reading
K-4 informational
About 1-3 grade level reading
K-4 informational
January 21, 2020
This is one of the best books out there for introducing your children to how our bodies work. Great illustrations and easy to understand language.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews