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My Body Science Series #4
Breasts
Explains the nature and development of breasts in females and how they are used to breast-feed milk to babies. Includes a section for mothers to read to children who were not breast-fed for medical reasons.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
28 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
38 people want to read
About the author
Genichiro Yagyu
17 books3 followersHis name is written as やぎゅう げんいちろう or 柳生弦一郎 in Japanese.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 26, 2009
Well, breasts are pretty amazing. I would have liked better illustrations. I also didn't like that they said babies only nurse for about a year. If you look at babies throughout the world, different cultures have different durations for nursing. We always change the words at that part or skip over it.
March 31, 2016
Breasts by Genichiro Yagyu is a humorous way of addressing a touchy (no-pun intended) topic. With its basic cartoon style drawings and simplistic language, the story is a great way to introduce the idea of breast feeding to children.
When I first saw this book on the shelf of the children's section, I was really taken back. What kind of children's book is going to be about breasts? I believe that moment is the perfect reason why this makes a great controversial children's book. Breastfeeding is a taboo topic, even among adults. There is a great public debate about whether or not it should be allowed.
This book introduces breastfeeding to children with enough basic information for them to understand. It does not objectify women, or body shame. It explains the natural reasons for having breasts with humor that adults will laugh at. It also explains why some children don't get breastfed, which is another area that children may ask about and is good for them to understand.
Overall, the silly pictures and openness of the book makes it worth the read.
When I first saw this book on the shelf of the children's section, I was really taken back. What kind of children's book is going to be about breasts? I believe that moment is the perfect reason why this makes a great controversial children's book. Breastfeeding is a taboo topic, even among adults. There is a great public debate about whether or not it should be allowed.
This book introduces breastfeeding to children with enough basic information for them to understand. It does not objectify women, or body shame. It explains the natural reasons for having breasts with humor that adults will laugh at. It also explains why some children don't get breastfed, which is another area that children may ask about and is good for them to understand.
Overall, the silly pictures and openness of the book makes it worth the read.
November 16, 2009
Because every child needs a book about breasts and their purpose. Lots of illustrations of nursing babies! Not the best pictures, but it does have a cut-out drawing of the inside of a breast, which is cool.
June 1, 2008
i wish the information in this book was more accurate. it is a very cute book though
July 10, 2009
also an excellent book on breasts for kids that explains the science behind breasts and breast feeding in a kid friendly manner.
August 24, 2022
This book about breasts from the My Body Science series is fantastic. It approaches the science of breasts and breastmilk in a straightforward, kid-friendly way, and with a bit of humor. With it's quirky cartoon illustrations and light-hearted tone, Breasts makes learning about breasts and breastfeeding fun and a bit silly, while still being very informative. It even has a diagram of the internal anatomy of a breast.
For more books on breastfeeding check out my blog post: Hey, fellow mammals—Here are some books on breastfeeding for the whole family!
For more books on breastfeeding check out my blog post: Hey, fellow mammals—Here are some books on breastfeeding for the whole family!
March 6, 2020
Well, I like the art style, but the text is a bit repetitive and not entirely accurate. The first pages say that men don't wear bras, and I had to say "Well, except for those who do..." and then that went down a rabbit hole. A good introduction.
February 27, 2023
This book is about breasts and about who has them and why they have them. It focuses on the purpose of breasts which is to produce milk for babies. I liked how a diagram of the anatomy of a breast was included. The cartoon illustrations are simple
September 3, 2025
Feels a little too gimmicky in the beginning. Also I own a used copy and someone wrote ‘not true’ under the sentence about babies being able to grow up healthy and happy if they only drink milk from a bottle. Made me giggle.
March 30, 2020
Classic. Does the job.
September 13, 2023
once again, college reading babey
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December 4, 2015Title: Breasts
Author: Genichiro Yagyu
Illustrator: Amanda Mayer Stinchecum
Genre: Concept Book
Theme(s): Body Awareness
Opening line/sentence: Look! That man is wearing a bra! You’re right! He is wearing a bra.”
Brief Book Summary: This book humorously explains the reasons for breasts and why women have nipples. It explains how women develop breasts as they move through puberty. It also explains how milk is produced when women become pregnant, so the child can drink the milk from the women’s nipple. It also demonstrates that even women who do not bare children develop breasts. The health benefits of babies drinking their mothers milk is mentioned, but it also states that many women feed their babies formula and the babies still remain healthy.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1999)
Following the success of Taro Gomi's Everyone Poops (1993, not reviewed), this is a similarly direct picture book from Japan, and more crudely done. Laughing at two children who think he's wearing a bra, a hefty man explains that it's only a belt over a tank top, then launches into a brief, patchy question-and-answer that covers the physical development of breasts (in women), nursing--"When a baby grabs hold of the breast and sucks on the nipple (glug glug glug), milk flows from it"--and why most people don't remember much of their babyhood. The two-color illustrations depict a series of mostly bare-chested men, women, and children, drawn with thick black lines and filled with a garish orange. Enlighten curious children by sharing relevant passages from such guides as Robie Harris's It's Perfectly Normal (1994) instead. 1999, Kane/Miller, $11.95. © 1999 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
(PUBLISHER: Kane/Miller Book Publishers (Brooklyn N.Y.:), PUBLISHED: c1999.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Kristin Harris (Children's Literature)
Originally published in Japan, this is a common sense discussion of breasts. Men don't wear bras because they don't have large breasts, but women do. Women have breasts to make milk and feed babies. Even women who don't have babies have breasts. At about ten years of age, a girl's breast begin to fill out. A cross section of a breast shows the milk glands and ducts. We learn how babies suck on the nipple to get the milk to flow. This would be a perfect book for the older brother or sister who is very curious about the new baby in the house and how the baby eats. Very simple, stylized illustrations are executed in a cartoon style. The book is filled with lots of very sweet images of babies sucking on a mother's breast. 1999 (orig. 1989), Kane/Miller, $11.95. Ages 2 to 8.
(PUBLISHER: Kane/Miller Book Publishers (Brooklyn N.Y.:), PUBLISHED: c1999.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I found both of these reviews to be refreshing because I initially anticipated to find this book offensive in some way. However, both professional reviews showed the same appreciation for the book as I did. This book explains the development of breasts in a simple manner with basic illustrations in thick black lines and orange fill. I think Harris had a great point when she said this book could be a perfect segway into explaining a new baby and how the baby eats.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: This book begins with humor when it reads “men don’t wear bras because they don’t have large breasts, but women do.” This humorous initial pages draw the reader in to read the facts about women’s’ breasts and their development. The illustrations throughout the book are additionally humorous to the factual information about breasts that is presented to the reader.
Consideration of Instructional Application: This book could be an introduction to the body parts of males and females in an upper elementary classroom. Sometimes teaching about body parts is uncomfortable for adults, but this book makes the topic conversational and even funny! Kids are going to laugh when they hear the word “breasts” regardless, so I think it’s great this book already adds humor into it! The students would not even realize the informational material that was being processed in their heads as they listened to this book. After reading this book, the students would be given questions to answer so they could recite what they learned from this non-fiction concept book.
Author: Genichiro Yagyu
Illustrator: Amanda Mayer Stinchecum
Genre: Concept Book
Theme(s): Body Awareness
Opening line/sentence: Look! That man is wearing a bra! You’re right! He is wearing a bra.”
Brief Book Summary: This book humorously explains the reasons for breasts and why women have nipples. It explains how women develop breasts as they move through puberty. It also explains how milk is produced when women become pregnant, so the child can drink the milk from the women’s nipple. It also demonstrates that even women who do not bare children develop breasts. The health benefits of babies drinking their mothers milk is mentioned, but it also states that many women feed their babies formula and the babies still remain healthy.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1999)
Following the success of Taro Gomi's Everyone Poops (1993, not reviewed), this is a similarly direct picture book from Japan, and more crudely done. Laughing at two children who think he's wearing a bra, a hefty man explains that it's only a belt over a tank top, then launches into a brief, patchy question-and-answer that covers the physical development of breasts (in women), nursing--"When a baby grabs hold of the breast and sucks on the nipple (glug glug glug), milk flows from it"--and why most people don't remember much of their babyhood. The two-color illustrations depict a series of mostly bare-chested men, women, and children, drawn with thick black lines and filled with a garish orange. Enlighten curious children by sharing relevant passages from such guides as Robie Harris's It's Perfectly Normal (1994) instead. 1999, Kane/Miller, $11.95. © 1999 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
(PUBLISHER: Kane/Miller Book Publishers (Brooklyn N.Y.:), PUBLISHED: c1999.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Kristin Harris (Children's Literature)
Originally published in Japan, this is a common sense discussion of breasts. Men don't wear bras because they don't have large breasts, but women do. Women have breasts to make milk and feed babies. Even women who don't have babies have breasts. At about ten years of age, a girl's breast begin to fill out. A cross section of a breast shows the milk glands and ducts. We learn how babies suck on the nipple to get the milk to flow. This would be a perfect book for the older brother or sister who is very curious about the new baby in the house and how the baby eats. Very simple, stylized illustrations are executed in a cartoon style. The book is filled with lots of very sweet images of babies sucking on a mother's breast. 1999 (orig. 1989), Kane/Miller, $11.95. Ages 2 to 8.
(PUBLISHER: Kane/Miller Book Publishers (Brooklyn N.Y.:), PUBLISHED: c1999.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I found both of these reviews to be refreshing because I initially anticipated to find this book offensive in some way. However, both professional reviews showed the same appreciation for the book as I did. This book explains the development of breasts in a simple manner with basic illustrations in thick black lines and orange fill. I think Harris had a great point when she said this book could be a perfect segway into explaining a new baby and how the baby eats.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: This book begins with humor when it reads “men don’t wear bras because they don’t have large breasts, but women do.” This humorous initial pages draw the reader in to read the facts about women’s’ breasts and their development. The illustrations throughout the book are additionally humorous to the factual information about breasts that is presented to the reader.
Consideration of Instructional Application: This book could be an introduction to the body parts of males and females in an upper elementary classroom. Sometimes teaching about body parts is uncomfortable for adults, but this book makes the topic conversational and even funny! Kids are going to laugh when they hear the word “breasts” regardless, so I think it’s great this book already adds humor into it! The students would not even realize the informational material that was being processed in their heads as they listened to this book. After reading this book, the students would be given questions to answer so they could recite what they learned from this non-fiction concept book.
March 3, 2011
I was looking for a good children's book to explain breastfeeding to my 4 year old and 2 year old, so that they weren't surprised by it when we bring baby #3 home. This book was great! Very matter of fact with good info that was simple enough for them to understand. The liked the funny pictures too.
October 5, 2008
Very sweet and funny book about breastfeeding for kids.
October 11, 2009
Mommy says: Really nice, normal discussion of what boobs do.
May 20, 2012
Never have I gotten a better, more immature, informative, children's giggle, then I received from this book. Good job author who's name I cannot pronounce correctly!
May 12, 2013
I love this little series of books - so much so that even though I don't have kids, they are on my shelf!
August 25, 2014
So funny--right up there with Everyone Poops. The illustrations are both amusing and terrifying.
"No milk here!"
"No milk here!"
September 17, 2017
Divertido libro para niños sobre dar de mamar. Las ilustraciones son muy bonitas y el texto genial.
March 31, 2024
[1999] Trazo duro de Genichiro en sus entrañables anatomías. El que peor resultado final tiene de su serie.
August 8, 2015
Not sure if it's horrifying or hilarious, either way, it's a winner for me.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews