One of the first steps a child must pass through on the way to attaining good health is identifying his or her body parts. There is a good small sized board book series that is a help. In Aleksandra, Where Is Your Nose? and its sequel, Aleksandra, Where Are Your Toes? by Christine Salac Dubov, the questions parents often pose to babies are asked to protagonist Aleksandra and she points out body parts for the baby being read to. I am much in favor of personalizing books and I read this book putting in my daughter's own name. It won't be long before your baby is finding his or her body parts with Aleksandra. Board book- ages one and up. (St. Martin's Press, $3.95)
A great way to gain an awareness of one's body at an early age is through play rhymes. Round and Round the Garden by Sarah Williams introduces over forty of these early plays which are filled with tickles and giggles and all sorts of fun for a parent and child to enjoy together. Available paperback for newborn and up. (Oxford University Press, $4.95)
Another important part of attaining good health is identifying emotional states and moods. Anne Sibley O'Brien's board book series includes many issues that are in the fore of a toddler's world. Illustrated with people of differing races and colors, O'Brien covers such topics as taking a nap in I'm Not Tired and I Want That which talks about sharing. Board book for eighteen months and up. (Holt,Rinehart and Winston, $3.95)
At a year, my daughter's first favorite book became Quick as a Cricket by Don and Audrey Wood and she still loves it. The young child in the story is compared throughout with different animals. Illustrations and rhymes are appealing and an important dimension of this book is an early introduction of emotions. When a young child falls down and is crying, you can borrow from the book and ask "Are you as sad as a basset?". This will give the child a frame of reference and at the same time change an unhappy mood. Hardcover only for one and up. (Child's Play, $10.00)
The Bare-Naked Book by Kathy Stinson describes every piece of human anatomy with humor and rhyme and rhythm. Vaginas are given just as much emphasis as elbows in this straight-forward presentation. The drawings have people of all races and ages and lots of amusing details. Each naming ends by asking the child to find the part on his or her body, inviting a pleasant participation. Paperback only for ages 2 and up. (Annick Press, $4.95)
Mr. Rogers has a set of books that inspire healthy attitudes about a variety of issues such as Going to the Doctor, Going to the Potty, Going to Day Care and The New Baby . This set of books are illustrated with photographs and the text and pictures are just as honest and clear as Mr. Rogers is on television. Hardcover and paperback available for ages 2 and up. (Putnam, $4.95)
Fred Rogers has just begun another series for an older child that is more emotionally based. If We Were All the Same and Wishes Don't Make Things Come True are illustrated with drawings and peopled with characters from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood of Make Believe. This is an intentional decision as Fred Rogers believes that "strong feelings can be hard to talk about, but pretending about them can make it easier." The stories will be particularly easy for a child who is familiar with the series to relate to, but they are a good departure point for talk for any child. Paperback available for ages 3 and up. (Random House, $1.95)
This year our family discovered Michael G. Pappas' Sweet Dreams for Little Ones: Bedtime Fantasies to Build Self-Esteem. This is a series of eighteen fun fantasies that begin with a gentle massage and take your child to wonderful imaginary places that build their self-esteem while creating a warm happy environment to prepare for sleep. This is a relationship-building book that is fun for the whole family to enjoy together. Paperback only for ages 4 and up. (Harper and Row, $6.95)
Look Inside Your Body introduces a young child to the way a body works. Board book pages and simple explanations make this an ideal beginning for pre-schoolers. Through text and illustrations chldren learn what happens to food they eat, why they have muscles and bones, how organs work and why boys and girls are different. Ages 3-7. (Putnam, $9.95)
An older child who is curious about how his body works will find Outside-in by Clare Smallman a great resource. In this flap-book, parts of the body are discussed in a way that are anchored in the child's experience and there are lots of simple experiential ideas suggested to extend knowledge. The drawings are simple as is the text and there is a strong feeling of play within. Ages 4 and up. (Barrons, $8.95)
David Bennett's What am I made of? tells just that. Traveling from brain to skin to lungs, and heart; through the blood, muscle and bone systems, the body's composition and functioning are simply explained. Large brightly colored drawings of active children also demonstrate all the things the body can do in a way that children can relate to. Ages 4-8. (Aladdin, 1991)
Sandra Markle's Outside and Inside You is a body tour loaded with word images, activities, and magnified illustrations that explain both functions and structures of skin, bones, muscles, teeth, tongue, ear, and eye. Processes such as digestion, elimination, breathing, speaking are also discussed. The language is simple and yet full of playful symbols, for example, Markle refers to blood and its many jobs as "cell soup." So complete this book would be enjoyed by an 11 yr. old and yet so clear in explanation, it could be understood by a five year old. (Bradbury, 1991)
The Human Body and How It Works by Angela Royston, presented in a question-answer format, gives the answer to thirty-seven questions which range from how different body parts function to questions kids wonder about like dreams and how fast hair grows. Answers are simple and direct and miscellaneous bits of trivia are revealed as well. Ages 7-11. (Random House, 1990)
The Visual Dictionary of the Human Body is an awesome piece of work. It clearly labels every bit of human anatomy with unbelievable graphics ranging from detailed drawings to scintigrams of nervous system and heart chambers, angiograms kidney and heart, photomicrographs of hair, skin and sweat pores and more! Adults and children will be equally amazed. Ages 5- adult. (Dorling Kindersley, 1991)
Finally there is a book that answers the issues that all parents seem to fight--what I call the point and label syndrome. It usually occurs in a busy store or overcrowded restaurant. A child points to someone who is physically different and loudly asks about the condition. Mary Beth Quinsey has written Why does that man have such a BIG NOSE? which talks about differing body conditions related to weight, height, skin color, etc. The premise of this book is that differences are expressions of one's uniqueness and value and there is nothing bad or wrong with anyone's appearance. In fact, differences are what make our world interesting. Ages 4- 8. (Parenting Press, $4.95)
If older picture book readers had to pick a favorite series, it would probably be the stories of crazy Ms. Frizzle and the magic field trips she takes with her class. On one such trip, Ms. Frizzle presses the wrong button and the bus shrinks to the size of one of Arnold's Cheesie Weesies. This is only the beginning of the adventure of The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body. Joanna Cole writes an exciting, adventurous non-fiction story and the illustrations by Bruce Degens accent the hilarity and fill the pages with even more information than the text. Ages 5-10. (Scholastic, $13.95)
All children love dinosaurs and Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown offer guidelines to good health in dinosaur guise in their Dinosaurs Alive and Well! The book begins by proclaiming a child special and capable of taking care of much of his or her health and happiness and goes on to empower children with specific explanations and suggestions. Food sources for energy and strength, clothing, washing, exercise, relaxing, first aid and dealing with feelings. Ages 4-8. (Little Brown, $14.95)
My daughter, like many other young children, is traumatized by the sight of her own blood. Reading Ouch! A book about cuts, scratches, and scrapes helped. Her father began the process by telling her that it was a normal-kid thing to do. Melvin Berger's book helped her understand the reason for the blood and how her body is taking care of her. Germs, pus and other elements of the healing process are all discussed in detail. Ages 5-9. (Lodestar Books, Dutton, 1991)
For older readers Slim Goodbody, superhero of health and fitness has written The Force Inside You. In five chapters he tells kids how to develop their own human abilities. Drawing on sources such as the ancient Greeks, an African tribe and a Cherokee chief, he dealves into such topics as yoga breath, letting go, and inner sense of time. This is a take-action rather than a preachy book complete with exercises that seem ideal for a 7-12 year old. (Coward-McCann, $9.95)