Children's Nonfiction Anatomy & Physiology
My Messy Body
- Publisher
- Tundra
- Initial publish date
- Sep 2011
- Category
- Anatomy & Physiology, General, Daily Activities
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781770492028
- Publish Date
- Sep 2011
- List Price
- $14.99
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Where to buy it
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 6 to 9
- Grade: 1 to 4
Description
Young children are full of questions about how their bodies work. With straightforward, easy-to-understand language and a playful attitude, Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD have collaborated to create books packed with solid information about the intricacies of the human body. Their reassuring text describes the body’s various systems and supplies parents and caregivers with answers that will help them provide the accurate, age-appropriate information young children need.
My Messy Body is about the sometimes yucky functions of the body: why are vomit, puss, and snot sometimes good for us? and yes, pee and poo are also on the list!
About the authors
Contributor Notes
Known for her wit, charm, and engaging personality, Liza Fromer is a widely respected broadcast journalist. She earned a degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson University and, for five years, hosted City TV’s Breakfast Television. Liza was then offered the chance to host her own series, “The List,” for the SLICE network. Her career has also included working with the Discovery Channel, CBS Newspath Los Angeles, and Newstalk 1010’s “Moore in the Morning.” Liza Fromer lives in Toronto.
Born in Toronto, Francine Gerstein MD received her Bachelor of Arts and Science from the University of Western Ontario and her doctorate from the University of Toronto Medical School. She completed a residency in Family Medicine at the University of Toronto and practices Family Medicine and aesthetic (cosmetic) medicine. She is a member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the Ontario Medical Association, and the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Gerstein has co-authored this Body Works series with her sister-in-law, Liza Fromer.
Award-winning illustrator Joe Weissmann was born in Austria and grew up in the small village of Acre by the Mediterranean Sea in Israel. He came to Canada when he was eleven. He lived in Montreal and studied at Le Musée des Beaux Arts and Concordia University. He has a long, distinguished career as an illustrator in advertising as well as in magazine and book publishing.
Librarian Reviews
My Messy Body Body Works Series
Tundra Books’ new Body Works picture book series offers a breezy, conversational look at the human body. Written by Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD and illustrated by Joe Weissmann, the non-fiction books are each 24 pages long and are suitable for children aged six years and up. Each title includes fun facts and uses both medical terms and slang when referring to body parts and functions. As well, small glossaries support the content. The illustrations match the tone of the books, injecting humour and supporting factual information with depictions of the human body and how it works.Whether gaining height or muscles, growing hair or mending a broken bone, the human body is constantly changing. Much of this work is done by the human body’s integumentary system, which consists of hair, nails and skin. My Stretchy Body looks at why having a haircut isn’t a painful experience, predicting a child’s adult height based on Mom and Dad’s stature, and the growth of new skin cells. It also highlights why muscles change with activity, how broken bones heal and the importance of caring for teeth and gums.
Did you know that humans are the only mammals to shed tears, that lips don’t have sweat glands or that the speed of a sneeze is over 145 kilometers per hour? My Messy Body takes an unblushing look at all the ways our body eliminates waste and explains the physiology and purpose of tears, sweat, earwax, nasal mucus/snot, urine/ pee, feces/poo, vomit and pus.
Reassuring readers that when a body makes noise it is doing what comes naturally, My Noisy Body looks at the human voice, burps, hiccups, stomach growls, farts, sneezes and coughs. Two-page spreads explain how and why body sounds happen. As well, readers learn about a stethoscope and how using one can help a doctor listen to a patient’s heart, lungs and stomach.
Affirming that humans can feel both physical pain and emotional pain, My Achy Body explains how our body and our brain process physical pain. The remaining chapters offer clear explanations of how and why we bruise, why scrapes are sometimes more painful than cuts, the purpose of scabs and how they form, how a child’s fractured bone is different from that of an adult, symptoms of strains and sprains, why we get stomach aches, earaches and sore throats. Thoughtful, age-appropriate explanations and interesting facts will help children understand why we experience physical pain and what we can do to alleviate our symptoms.
Source: The Canadian Children's Bookcentre. Winter 2012. Volume 35 No. 1.
My Messy Body (Body Works)
In this book the purpose of the body’s secretions is explained. Did you know that tears are made of water, oil and mucus or that the average person has 2.5 million sweat glands? Do you know the average speed of a sneeze? Well, you might be surprised! Delve into this fascinating book to find out more about all the ways the body eliminates waste.Source: The Canadian Children’s Book Centre. Best Books for Kids & Teens. Fall, 2012.
