Body Worlds Exhibit and Books About the Body
Yesterday, my husband and I went to an incredible exhibit called Body Worlds. Have you heard of it? Basically, it’s a exhibit featuring real human bodies that are preserved using a method called plastination. Everything is preserved and you can see anything from the heart, brain, blood vessels, nerves, muscles, bones both in whole bodies and as specimens.
This exhibit was absolutely incredible! I have never seen anything like it. If you ever have the opportunity to go, it’s worth every penny. And I’d say for about ages ten and up. I would post some photos but the copyright requirements on their website were a bit to much for me to go through at the moment. But YouTube of course, always comes through! It’s not all in English, but you get the idea!
How is this book related, you ask? Well one, my sister babysat for us that night and when we got back, we were able to sit down and fix the blog! Yay! I seriously don’t know what I’d do without her.
And second, looking over my children’s library I don’t seem to have any books for my three and one and half year old to learn about the body. I’m looking for suggestions! Do you have any recommendations for these two little guys?
I’d love to get a great list. If I get enough recommendations, I’ll do a round up post. Thanks!
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Category: Book Lists, Bookish Musings & Miscellany
Tags: photos of my family
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Oh, that exhibit was in my old hometown for several weeks, and every time the commercial came on tv, I had to turn the channel! Then we move here, and the exhibit traveled here in no time – of course. More channel-switching! Glad you liked it, but I don’t think I would have done so well.
on November 16th, 2008 at 2:39 amI have wanted to go see Body Worlds and I have considered taking my oldest, but I think she is too young. She is very fascinated with the body though so I had to look for books. I had a hard time finding something that wasn’t just here is a leg, a head, a shoulder. I finally looked for some children’s anatomy books. I have two I liked that I would recommend.
The Visual Dictionary of the Human Body & The Visual Dictionary of Human Anatomy (these are for older kids, but you could show them to your kids you would be looking mostly at pictures not reading). They are really well done – full color pictures, diagrams, pictures of cells.
My 4 year old loved them! She is very curious and wanted to see what was on the inside of her body so they worked for us. These books cover all systems of the body including reproduction so you have to determine your level of comfort and skip anything your not comfortable with.
Another fun body activity book we like is Everybody has a Body: Science from head to toe (for ages 3-6). It has some fun activities like listening to a heart beat, etc.
Another one I want to check out is the Magic School Bus: Inside the Body. If I do I’ll let you know.
on November 16th, 2008 at 6:18 amCongratulations on fixing your blog – that’s great. And that’s very cool that you got to see the Body Worlds exhibit – I can imagine how incredible that must have been. As for books, there’s a simple Scholastic First Discovery on the Human Body that might be useful. I hope you find something that works!
on November 16th, 2008 at 6:27 amYour little guys are adorable!
on November 16th, 2008 at 6:33 amGlad you got the blog back up and running! I remember seeing the exhibit when we were in Las Vegas a couple years ago, but we didn’t get a chance to go. Looks kind of freaky! In terms of books for the little ones, the only one that I can think of is Everyone Poops.
Haha!
on November 16th, 2008 at 8:16 amI’m not sure if you’re looking for fiction books at all, but I think The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food is a nice book to show the different body systems and how eating well is good for our body. But it might be too wordy for your kids. My daughter is 5 and loves it.
on November 16th, 2008 at 8:17 amI want to go to this exhibit so badly! My husband is squeamish – he barely tolerated being in the room with me when I had my C-sections. My 6 yr old wants to go (probably because he’s heard mom wanting to go) … do you think 6 is still too young?? My husband certainly does, but, like I said, he’s wimpy about bodies.
Otherwise, it’ll be to the books with us, too.
on November 16th, 2008 at 9:16 amI saw that on one of the science channels. It looks SO cool!
I have some books about the human body for little ones, I just have to search through my boxes I took from my classroom to find them. It’s one of the topics we covered in Kindergarten. I’ll post titles as soon as I find them!
on November 16th, 2008 at 9:57 amHey…my post didn;t show up….
on November 16th, 2008 at 10:00 amOkay that one did…let’s try this again…
I saw a special about the exibit and the process on one one the learning channels and thought it was SO COOl.
I have a few books for little ones on the human body, but I can’t think of the title off of the top of my head. I have to go through my boxes I took from my classroom. It’s one of the topics we cover in Kindergarten/First Grade.
I do know the Magic School bus video on the human body is pretty cool. I saw someone recommend that and I would agree. It’s animated, so no yucky factor. I’ll opst the titles when I find them.
on November 16th, 2008 at 10:04 amI saw Bodyworlds when it was in the Twin Cities. It was amazing!!
Lezlie
on November 16th, 2008 at 10:29 amStacy – I think because they looked so “plastic” I wasn’t bothered. Although I did hear several comments from people (myself included) how some muscles looked just like pork!
Cari – Thanks for the recommendations! The tickets are pretty expensive ($25) so buying a ticket for a younger child is a tough call. Will they get bored? Will they enjoy it? There is a lot of anatomy. I don’t think they’d get grossed out, maybe it’s just a matter of appreciating it?
Charley – So excited the blog was fixed. It was interesting for a while. Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll look into it.
Kathy – Thanks! I couldn’t help but show them off a little!
Trish – I’ve heard of that book! I haven’t seen it though. I’ve talked to a couple people who saw the show in Vegas. If you get a chance, you should go. I think it’s in Houston, but that’s probably much to far for you.
Holly – I love those books and I think we have Too Much Junk Food. My little guy is still eating Halloween candy.
Mrs. B. Roth – Talk Greg into it!! I’ll have Taylor talk him into it. It’s not bloody or smelly. It’s really cool!
Jenn M. – Saying that you have left more than a hundred comments on this blog I have NO idea why askimet picked up your comments as spam. Sigh . . . . I don’t want you to get frustrated! I’ll have to look into the Magic School Bus videos. We’ve never watched them.
Lezlie – Oh good, you know what I’m talking about. Incredible exhibit!
on November 16th, 2008 at 10:45 am~gasp~ ME…Spam?!?! It’s okay. I’ll get those other titles to you as soon as I can. The Magic School Bus Video is called like Inside Charlie’s Body or something like that.
on November 16th, 2008 at 11:23 amThat video is very cool, but also kinda gross. I wonder if the exhibit will ever come near me? I’d want to go, but don’t know if I’d take my four-year-old.
on November 16th, 2008 at 11:37 amI saw the exhibit a few years ago in Houston. So cool! My husband wouldn’t let me sign up to donate my body, however.
Did you see that on your way out?
Anyway, wanted to let you know that I received my book in the mail yesterday. Thank you!
on November 16th, 2008 at 12:14 pmYeah I’ve heard of it and the idea still kind of grosses me out *shudder*! I think the Berenstein bears have a couple of books on the body that I remember reading as a kid.
Of course the Magic School Bus has a few too. Here’s one of the cartoon’s about muscles.
on November 16th, 2008 at 1:32 pmThe Usborne Flip-Flap Body Book is great for this age. It is colorful, has good info and it has flaps which my 3 year old son loves.
on November 16th, 2008 at 2:46 pmIf that plastination exhibit comes my way I will look into going. I just saw something about plastination recently and it sounds fascinating.
Hello. Your boys are ADORABLE! And yes, I’ve heard of the exhibition. I saw the guy who thought up the exhibition (his name escapes me) on a television programme about how it was all done and he cut up a human body for everyone to see. I have to admit it was much too graphic for me, but I did think it was interesting and if I had a stronger stomach I’d love to see the exhibition as well!
on November 16th, 2008 at 2:47 pmJenn M. – Seems like we have books about everything but not about body parts, etc. A few of their books may have one page or something.
Jeane – It looks more gross on screen then it really is. I wouldn’t take a four year old. The people who even put on the exhibit don’t recommend it. They may get a bit scared, plus I wouldn’t spend that kind of money on a four year old either.
Mari – You’re welcome! What was so funny was that my husband mentioned during the exhibit – what if they have sign-ups at the end? – and sure enough there were forms available!
Ladytink_534 – I remember when I was little going to the Smithsonian and seeing a body sliced up. I’ve never forgotten it. I had never heard of this process until the exhibit came to our town. Husband came home and said we HAD to see it. I was game!
Jeannette – Good to know Usborne has a book. I enjoy their books and I have a neighbor who sells them. Will definitely look into that one.
Michelle – I didn’t see anybody getting sick to their stomach at the exhibit. Maybe because we all wanted to be there? It was fascinating. I don’t think I could stomach actually watching the process being done but the end result was fantastic!
on November 16th, 2008 at 3:31 pmThe exhibit sounds kinda creepy cool. No book suggestions, but MAN your kids are cute!
on November 16th, 2008 at 3:59 pmI saw this display when it was in the Twin cities, and WOW, what an exhibit! I was absolutely fascinated.
on November 16th, 2008 at 6:22 pmLisa – Ah, thanks! That means a lot especially because you have two little ones of your own. And don’t we always think ours are the cutest?
Kim – I still can not get over the fact that they can actually do some of the things that they do. Like showing just the blood vessels. Wow!
on November 16th, 2008 at 6:51 pmWe went to the Body Worlds exhibit when it was here last year. Truly fascinating.
on November 17th, 2008 at 9:13 amWow your kids look so much alike!
Here are the body picture books I’ve read with my kids (around the same ages):
Reviews of next three books
We’re Different We’re The Same featuring Jim Henson’s Sesame Street Muppets
All by Myself by Aliki
My Two Hands – My Two Feet by Rick Walton
The Bare Naked Book by Kathy Stinson
Look At You by Kathy Henderson
Let’s Look at Bodies by Sophie Warne
on November 17th, 2008 at 10:50 amWe went to see it in Phoenix last year with my sister and it was FASCINATING! My “scientist” boys LOVED it! We couldn’t drag ‘em out of there.
on November 18th, 2008 at 1:40 pmI know everyone’s said it already, but let me join in:
Dang, but those kids are cute!
on November 20th, 2008 at 9:38 am