Human body books for children

Human body children’s books for topics in EYFS/KS1, KS2 & KS3, including non-fiction reference, picture books, MG chapter books, and practical guides for early teens, by authors including Charlotte Markey, Robert Winston, Adam Kay, Yumi Stynes, Emma Quay, Nick Fisher, and Elizabeth Verdick. These suggestions have been collated to provide resources for classrooms, ideas for parents, starting points for discussion, and jumping-off points for home-based projects, as well as classroom topic-based teaching.

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Our recommended human body and body image topic books for children in KS1, KS2 and KS3

The Super Skeleton: How It Words and How to Look After It by Dr Roopa Farooki, illustrated by Viola Wong

The Super Skeleton is a fun and informative guide to bone composition, joint types, and maintaining bone health for 4-8 year olds. Explaining the skeleton’s structure and functions, Dr Roopa Farooki also explores practical tips on diet and exercise for growing children. With bright illustrations by Viola Wang, this book is part of an engaging series on the human body. It’s the perfect accessible first guide to anatomy for KS1 readers at home and for independent learning in primary school libraries.

The Super Skeleton: How It Words and How to Look After It by Dr Roopa Farooki, illustrated by Viola Wong

Snot, Sneezes, and Super-Spreaders by Marc ter Horst

This fascinating non-fiction hardback will captivate children in upper KS2. Exploring viruses, Marc ter Horst explains to readers how they spread, how they attack our bodies and what steps we can take to protect ourselves. With an infectious blend of humour, facts and graphics, ‘Snot, Sneezes, and Super-Spreaders’ is perfect for school libraries.

Snot, Sneezes, and Super-Spreaders by Marc ter Horst

Everything Human Body by National Geographic Kids

Including impressive facts and thought-provoking detail, this text blends useful information that will spark pupils’ thinking and imagination with solid KS2 science content in a bright and compelling format. Up to date and on-trend, with extensively illustrated sections on fitness, sensible living, nutrition and mental health, Everything Human Body is ideal for greater-depth reading and home learning in upper KS2. Highly recommended.

Everything Human Body by National Geographic Kids

The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers by Rachel Poliquin

This sumptuously illustrated hardback isn’t like any other human body book. Framing our flesh and bone as a set of evolutionary artefacts, the reader is expertly guided (by Wisdom Tooth and Disappearing Kidney, no less) around organs that are peculiar, unnecessary and hark back to our distant past. The perfect present for children who want to be doctors or scientists, we particularly liked the sections on nictitating membranes, hiccups, and the disappearing human tail. It’s absolutely fascinating.

The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers by Rachel Poliquin

Marvellous Body: A Magic Lens Book by Jane Wilsher

7-11-year-olds can peer deep inside the human body with this bright and highly engaging full-colour interactive hardback. Illustrating numerous areas covered in the KS2 national curriculum, including teeth, ears and hearing, muscles, the digestive system, keeping healthy, growing up and body image, it’s perfectly pitched for both primary school libraries and classrooms. The clever magic lens – which doubles as an x-ray device and a magnifying glass – is bound to encourage children to seek out details and read the labelled explanations carefully. Highly recommended.

Marvellous Body: A Magic Lens Book by Jane Wilsher

The Good Germ Hotel by Kim Sung-hwa and Kwon Su-jin

With hilariously funny images, the bacterial inner workings of the human body are explored in the form of guests in a quirky 5-star hotel. Antibiotics, immune cells, COVID and poop are all examined in detail. This fun, comic strip style, illustrated fact book with enthral children interested in learning about their health and the science of germs. An ideal addition to healthy living topics in KS2.

The Good Germ Hotel by Kim Sung-hwa and Kwon Su-jin

Cat Eyes and Dog Whistles – The Seven Senses of Humans and other Animals by Cathy Evans

This fascinating journey through the senses explores seven senses shared by humans and animals. Five of them – hearing, sight, taste, smell and touch most of us know about – but proprioception and the vestibular system will be new to some. Not only will this be a fascinating book to help children in KS2 learn about how humans and animals experience and relate to the world around them, but it will also enlighten readers about people and pets who have difficulties due to deficits with particular senses.

Cat Eyes and Dog Whistles by Cathy Evans

It Isn’t Rude to be Nude by Rosie Haine

A down to earth book that debunks the myth that being nude is rude. With clear language that children will relate to, this picture book is illustrated with innovative and accurate ink drawings. All colours, sizes, shapes and ages are shown, to emphasise that skin tone, wrinkles, freckles and wobbly bits are found on all of us.

It Isn't Rude to be Nude by Rosie Haine

The Body Image Book for Girls by Charlotte Markey

This book deals sensitively with the pressures experienced by teenage girls, exacerbated by mass and social media, to conform to a trending image. It confronts these influences head on, dealing with diets, depression, eating disorders, self-harm, it provides a positive beacon for those who are struggling.

The Body Image Book for Girls by Charlotte Markey

The Human Body by DK

This encyclopedia peers inside the body and allows inquisitive and curious children to enter a world of astonishing organs and moving parts. Arranged in neat and easy to follow sections, the entire body workings are illustrated and explained. A surefire hit to enthuse and enthral.

The Human Body by DK

Open Wide, What’s Inside by Alex Rushworth

Beware of the sugar bugs! A factual book that gently ensures children are aware of the dangers associated with too much sugar and the effects on teeth and oral hygiene. Using catchy rhyme, the awful behaviour of the sugar bugs will have your child rushing for a toothbrush!

Open Wide, What's Inside by Alex Rushworth

Are You What You Eat? by DK

A clever book, which instead of dictating what children must eat, instead explains why certain foods are better than others for our overall body health. This book describes how to boost energy, brainpower and keep your internal machine functioning to its best. Quizzes, facts about vitamins and minerals all guide the reader towards sensible choices.

Are You What You Eat? by DK

What Goes on in My Head? By Robert Winston

The brain – the ultimate human computer that controls everything about you – find out how it grows and changes, influencing emotions, reactions and memory. Try the brainteaser questions and finally the personality section to reveal who you really are!

What Goes on in My Head? By Robert Winston

Illumanatomy by Kate Davies

A unique approach to explain the workings of the human body underpins this informative book suitable for all ages – from primary children to students. Using three colour lenses, the illustrations jump to life, showing the skeleton, organs and muscles, and all their specific functions. The layout, exciting facts and detail in this book will draw children back time after time.

Illumanatomy by Kate Davies

Giant by Kate Scott

A story that will reassure children who feel they might be different or worry that they don’t fit in. Anzo is very short and suffers for it at home and at school. With the help of his friend Elise, and a growing sense of belief, Anzo proves that he is just as good, and tall, as anyone else.

Giant by Kate Scott

Celebrate Your Body by Sonya Renee Taylor

Aimed at girls aged 8-13, this no-nonsense guide to puberty will reassure and inform. All the bodily changes are described and explained clearly, as well as touching on the emotional experiences to expect. A useful book to provide further reading after PSHE classes.

Celebrate Your Body by Sonya Renee Taylor

Kay’s Anatomy by Adam Kay

In this book, parents and their children will find out all they ever wanted to know about the inner mechanisms of the human body. Told in medically accurate language, but constantly added to with tongue in cheek jokes and amusing cartoons. Reproduction, death and germs – including Covid 19 are explained, and advice provided for healthy living.

Kay's Anatomy by Adam Kay

How Do You Make a Baby? by Anna Fiske

A no-nonsense and refreshingly unsubtle non-fiction book to show primary aged children how babies are made. The cartoon-style illustrations are unabashed and a diverse range of loving relationships are depicted. Ideal for responsible discussion with KS2 children learning the new sex education element of the national curriculum.

How Do You Make a Baby? by Anna Fiske

Rudie Nudie Christmas by Emma Quay

A lovely bedtime storybook for younger readers to enjoy. It’s almost Christmas and two little Rudies are enjoying the time between bath and bed. With simple text and appealing illustrations, this is a Christmas tale to treasure!

Rudie Nudie Christmas by Emma Quay

Welcome to Your Period by Yumi Stynes

This book will bust many myths about periods for anxious girls. Full of good, and refreshingly candid, advice, case studies, first-hand accounts and a questions and answer section. Practical advice is also offered for how to deal with the unexpected.

Welcome to Your Period by Yumi Stynes

What’s Next for Medicine by Tom Jackson

How will medicine change in the future? This book explains how new techniques and methods might develop, in fields such as genetics, DNA, cell transplants and more. What might happen in laboratories, possible inventions and new approaches makes this a stimulating read for inquisitive young students.

What's Next for Medicine by Tom Jackson

The Boys Body Book by Kelli Dunham

This best-selling book offers a comprehensive guide for boys and all they need to know about puberty. Bodily changes, hormones, and emotional changes are explained. There are also useful chapters about consent and safety, leaving home and feeling confident.

The Boys Body Book by Kelli Dunham

Living With a Willy by Nick Fisher

An accessible, and very practical guide for adolescent boys. This honest account of what is, and what is not normal for young people to experience, explains with refreshing clarity the different stages of puberty and what teenagers should expect.

Living With a Willy by Nick Fisher

Kid Normal by Greg James

Murph Cooper feels out of place at his new school. Everyone there seems to possess superpowers. Laugh along with Murph’s exploits as he battles the bad guy, becomes a hero, and saves the day. The illustrated story is ideal for reluctant readers in KS2.

Kid Normal by Greg James

Human Body Odyssey by Dominic Walliman

Join Professor Astro Cat on an adventure into the workings of the human body. How does it work? Why does it have such complex systems? With fantastic illustrations, learn how the heart, ears, cells and genetics combine to keep the body functioning – and also discover how to keep healthy. A must-have for the KS2 school library.

Human Body Odyssey by Dominic Walliman

Germs Are Not For Sharing by Elizabeth Verdick

An informative and instructional book that sensitively informs and educates younger children about the dangers of, and how to avoid, spreading germs. This timely publication includes advice for parents and child carers.

Germs Are Not For Sharing by Elizabeth Verdick

Super Foods for Super Kids Cookbook by Noelle Martin

An informative and fun way to introduce KS2 children to healthy cooking and a sensible diet. Full of exciting recipes, information on the best ‘super foods’, how to prepare them, and how to benefit from their nutritional superpowers. With easy to follow instructions for each recipe, including the required equipment, these 50 meals will have children cooking up a healthy storm!

Super Foods for Super Kids Cookbook by Noelle Martin

Gut Garden by Katie Brosnan

A spectacular illustrated large-format picture book for children in KS2, Gut Garden explores the microbes that help digest our food and boost our immune system. Not dumbed-down, this is an excellent introduction to human biology for inquisitive juniors aged children. Featured as our book of the month for October 2019.

Gut Garden by Katie Brosnan

Human body and body image topic resources and activities

BBC learning for KS1 – parts of the body.

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Looking for more children’s book recommendations? Have a look at our books for topics, our EYFS & KS1 books, and our KS2 book recommendations.


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About Jan Tolkien

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Jan Tolkien is an educational consultant and literacy expert based in North Yorkshire with extensive experience in a wide variety of settings. A teacher with over 30 years as a classroom practitioner, she is also a reviewer of books for children, a copywriter, resource writer and a proofreader.

This booklist was last updated on October 7th, 2024 and first published in 2020.