The Brainiacs Book of Body & Brain by Rosie Cooper is another beautiful picture book from Thames and Hudson. It is full of bright, fun, artwork and really clearly explained facts.
This book deals with a lot of the sorts of questions that young people have about their own – and other peoples’ – bodies, doing so with humour and authority.
I especially appreciated the sections on senses and sensation. As a household full of neurodivergent people, we often have questions regarding why things feel the way they do – for example, the shivering associated with cold can be mistake for a fear response by autistic brains – so having a clear, concise reference point like the ‘Spooky Sensations’ page in this book is fantastic. It’s a great way of explaining relatively complicated concepts such as ‘proprioception.’
Spreads include the mandatory ‘fart’ pages, but there’s also the joyfully revolting ‘Bathtubs of Sweat’ – a gross bodily fluid that’s often overlooked in favour of more mundane offerings like pee and poop.
And apparently, as a parent and book reviewer, these are sentences that I can authoritatively write now.
Hmm.
Not sure how I feel about that.
Regardless, if you’re looking for a book about the body that goes beyond the usual ‘the bones are scaffolding and your muscles make you move’ then this is a fabulous option, guaranteed to provide giggles along the way.