Children's books and book reviews - reading resource for kids, teachers, librarians, parents





*All About Scabs (My Body Science Series)* by Genichiro Yagyu





 

All About Scabs (My Body Science Series)
by Genichiro Yagyu
Ages 4-8 28 pages Kane/Miller October 1998 Hardcover    

If your inquisitive child questions just about everything, you will be pleased to learn that the topic of “scabs” is well-covered in Genichiro Yagyu’s All About Scabs. In it, he presents a lively, entertaining and child-centric discussion about scabs that provides a great deal of information about the formation of and reason for their existence.

Yagyu’s book is enjoyable on many levels, and it educates as it entertains. The loose story explores the medical importance of scabs as our wounds heals, and it infuses the information with significant entertainment value by presenting it from the perspective of the inquiring children who probably really do care about the answers to their questions.

The book starts with a child’s natural inclination to pick at a scab and an older person’s instructions not to do so. Children engage in a conversation relating to the look and feel of scabs, and they share a common difficulty in controlling their curiosity about them. The children recall their personal experiences with scabs, putting forth their own interpretation of their makeup. One child even suggests eating her scab but is discouraged from doing so by another child who had first-hand experience of the unpleasantness of this behavior.

Yagyu presents the scientific explanation for the formation of a scab, and the author masterfully presents enough information to satisfy a child’s natural curiosity but not too much to compel a child classify this book as an “educational” one they no longer wish to read. The information strikes a perfect balance between education and entertainment, leaving readers with a sufficient dose of each.

There is certainly something to be said for finding a niche when attempting to write a children’s book, and All About Scabs is a certainly an example of the value of this process. The topic is an unique and important one, and it’s reassuring to know that the appropriate (and scientifically accurate) answers are available in such a wonderful format.



click here to browse children's board book reviews
click here to browse children's picture book reviews
click here to browse young readers book reviews
click here to browse young readers book reviews
click here to browse young adult book reviews
click here to browse parenting book reviews
 
web reviews
  Lori West/2006 for curled up with a good kid's book  






For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews,
visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)