The Skeleton Family

This is a bright, fun and colourful view of the skeletal system inside our bodies. The story comes alive with all the ‘normal’ things a ‘normal’ family would do. Plenty of language to explore for shared reading times with both teachers and students and parents.

There are plenty of bones to investigate from a science perspective. I loved the humanised illustrations of their faces and the expressions that are portrayed.

The moral of the story is that anyone can be different, but on the inside we are all the same. We may be frightened of what we don’t know, but when we are courageous to meet new people and find out about them we often like them a lot.

I feel the song is a little slow and may have had a faster tempo, but younger children should find it easy to learn. The musical score is a nice added touch, though this would need to be played by an experienced musician. Great if one is available.

On that note, the digital version makes it super easy for the adult to play the music for the listeners. Skeleton facts at the end are also helpful to promote further discussions.

Title: The Skeleton Family

Author: Ian Chapman

Illustrator: Cheryl Smith

Publisher: David Bateman Ltd

ISBN: 978-1-98-853856-3

RRP: $19.99

Format: paper back

Date of Publication: September 2020

Ages: 5-7 year olds

Do you have any advisory warnings for this book? No

Reviewer: Karen Davies, Head of Primary and class teacher for Y3-4, Rai Valley Area School, Marlborough

How are you recommending this book? Highly recommended

What’s the book’s opening sentence? Meet the Skeleton family.

You can buy this book here