Best Human Body Books for Kids in English, Chinese, Korean
Since children are naturally curious, it’s no wonder that they are fascinated by anatomy books! As a pediatrician and bilingual parenting advocate, I’m excited to share our favorite human body books for kids in English, Chinese, and Korean. Spoiler alert: this list includes my fun and empowering human body activities book for kids!
Years ago when I was looking for kids anatomy books, I wasn’t sure which were the best. Shopping for Chinese and Korean books is challenging when you aren’t fluent in those languages! So I started by researching the best human body books in English and then looked for translations. After sharing these recommendations, I’ve heard that so many of your children love these anatomy books just as much as mine.
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This article was originally published in June 2019 and has since been updated with new information.
Best human body books for kids in English, Chinese, and Korean
To help you find the best anatomy books for your kids, I’ve included links to bookstores plus ISBN information in case you want to look for it at your local library.
Human Body Learning Lab: Take An Inside Tour of How Your Anatomy Works
Based on my experiences as a pediatrician and former homeschooling mom, I created Human Body Learning Lab together with my children! In addition to kid-friendly anatomy facts and health tips, Human Body Learning Lab features hands-on projects, activities, and experiments with common household and recycled materials. So many parents have told me how much they love the diverse photographs and illustrations plus the incredible clay art created by my illustrator!
Although it’s currently available in English only, orders will help overseas publishers notice the book and hopefully translate it into more languages. Fingers crossed for Chinese, Korean, and other languages in the near future! In the meantime, you can use the Youdao Chinese Dictionary Pen to translate Human Body Learning Lab!
Where to buy:
Related: More Amazing Books About the Human Body in English
Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body / 神奇校车：在人体中游览 / 신기한 스쿨버스
I adored the Magic School Bus series as a kid, and I love seeing my kids enjoy the series in different languages now! Inside the Human Body is the perfect mix of interesting non-fiction facts and playfully creative fiction. Ms Frizzle takes the class on a tour inside one of the student’s body. They journey into his stomach, blood, and other parts of his amazing anatomy. This trip inside the human body has helped the kids have a memorable learning experience!
Where to buy:
- English: ISBN 9780590414272
- Chinese
- Korean: ISBN 9788949154039
Related: More Chinese Magic School Bus picture books and chapter books
Usborne Look Inside Your Body 어스본요리조리 열어 보는 우리 몸
This popular human body book was originally written in English and has been translated into numerous languages, including Korean. (Traditional Chinese ISBN 9789862037614 is no longer in print unfortunately.) Usborne’s Look Inside Your Body gives a brief overview of the inner organs, and the lift-the-flap feature makes the book fun and interactive for little and big kids!
Where to buy:
- English: ISBN 9781409549475
- Korean: ISBN 9791186872307
Chinese human body book 乐乐趣身边得科学系列 – 我们的身体
Both of my kids were instantly attracted to this Chinese human body book! There’s actually a 3-dimensional “baby” floating in a pregnant uterus with liquid representing amniotic fluid. And you can move “food” down the digestive tract.
The downside is the inaccuracy of some organs. For example, the image of the digestive tract shows food traveling straight down through the intestines instead of traveling through the normally winding path. The vessels of the circulatory system are drawn somewhat randomly as well.
Still, I would recommend this very unique anatomy book for kids. To make up for the some of the drawbacks, it’s important to compare with accurate illustrations from other books so that children can understand that some books try to simplify concepts.
Where to buy:
- Simplified Chinese: ISBN 9787541745546
- Book Depository (Free int’l shipping)
- Mahu Yu Yi (Singapore, Int’l shipping available)
Chinese Health Guides 影响孩子一生的健康书
These Chinese stories about health have been a delight for my children! We’ve had the whole set for years and still love it. Each book in the series focuses on one healthy habit, such as teeth brushing, washing hands, wearing glasses, and sleep hygiene. The stories are a bit long for young toddlers, but the vivid, realistic illustrations could capture anyone’s interest! Because these are such relevant topics, there is plenty to look at and talk about with kids of all ages!
- Doudou, Wash Your Hands 豆豆，去把手洗干净—掌握正确的洗手方法，养成洗手好习惯！
- Daddy’s Glasses 爸爸的眼镜—学习保护眼睛的方法，养成良好的用眼习惯！
- Cerumen’s Trip 耵聍的旅行—掌握保护耳朵的方法，养成良好的用耳习惯。
- Sports Superman 运动小超人—选择适合自己的运动，养成坚持运动的好习惯。
- Secret of Vegetables 蔬菜的秘密—改掉挑食的坏毛病，养成良好的饮食习惯。
- I and Picca 我和皮卡—学会自我保护，和狗狗正确相处。
- Little Night Prince 黑夜小王子—建立规律的睡前模式，养成良好的睡眠习惯。
- Fight Dental Bacteria 牙细菌大作战—学习正确的刷牙方法，养成保护牙齿的好习惯!
The Health Guide 影响孩子一生的健康书 series is also compatible with Luka Reading Robot. We love the high-quality narration, which encourages my children to read independently!
Where to buy:
- Simplified Chinese ISBN 9787510131974: JoJo Learning
Common questions about human body books for kids
Many parents have wondered which human body books are best for their children. Here are answers to frequently asked questions about children’s anatomy books.
My kid gets scared and grossed out easily. Would these human body books be appropriate for sensitive children?
You know your child best, but in general, reading human body books can empower a child. Through anatomy books, children can learn real names of body parts and how organs work. If kids have questions about their body, accurate vocabulary can help them communicate their curiosities and concerns.
For learning new languages, if we need to look up a the name of a body part, we can refer to our human anatomy books in English, Chinese, or Korean!
And when people understand basic health facts, like nutrition labels, doctor’s recommendations, and medication pamphlets, they can make safe and healthy decisions about their body.
What makes a good human body book for kids?
Human body books with realistic and diverse images are ideal, especially for young learners who are figuring out the world. Through diverse books, children can learn about protagonists with different cultural backgrounds as well as physical and cognitive abilities.
In addition, seeing images of human beings and realistic characters in different colors, shapes, and sizes can help kids have a healthy body image. It’s good to be picky about illustrations, because we learn with our eyes!
Which human body books are less helpful for kids?
My biggest frustration with popular children’s science books is that concepts and images are often cartoonified unnecessarily.
When my daughter asks about viruses and what they look like, most children’s books will feature colorful caricatures with angry faces. In reality, pathogens have no faces or emotions. Furthermore, some bacteria are a good and healthy part of skin and gut flora.
Research shows that nonfiction is cool. But many parents and teachers don’t realize that realistic details are actually fascinating for kids. Instead of “dumbed down” illustrations that are visually misleading, kids can handle straightforward facts about the human heart and brain!
Which human body book is your child’s favorite?
Have you read any of these anatomy books with your kids? What did they think of these human body books? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments! 🙂
More ways to help kids learn about their body
- The Best Human Anatomy Toys: Fun Science Gifts For Kids
- Safety First: Why Kids Need to Learn Real Names for Private Parts
- Emotions Book and Montessori 3-part cards in English, Chinese, and Korean