Who Has a Belly Button? [Hardcover]

Mary Batten (Author), Higgins Bond (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

An award-winning science writer and veteran natural-science illustrator look at belly buttons and how they are made in this easy-to-understand book designed specially for young children.
Belly buttons! Everyone has one. Some are innies. Some are outies. And they always fascinate young children. Why humans have belly buttons and why some animals do-and others do not-is the subject of this informative, fascinating look at the lifeline that attaches mammals to their mothers before birth.
Using simple but scientifically-accurate terms and anatomically-correct illustrations, the book carefully explains to children what umbilical cords are, how they help a developing fetus receive oxygen inside the mother's womb, and finally, how belly buttons (or navels) are created after the baby is born and the cord is cut.
The book also depicts how humans and other mammals continue to nourish their young after birth, and looks at the special circumstance surrounding the births of certain animals, such as panda bears, African elephants and blue whales.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-An informative and interesting look at how belly buttons are formed and how they differ on people and the animals that have them. Using clear, concise language, Batten explains that only mammals have navels. She describes how a fetus develops in its mother's uterus and how an umbilical cord works. Many examples of creatures with belly buttons are provided, from the largest, the blue whale, to the smallest, the bumblebee bat that "weighs no more than a penny." The colorful acrylic illustrations, often spread across two pages, add to the text, particularly the detailed drawings of animals. Unfamiliar words are italicized and defined in a glossary. This inviting book is useful for both reports and answering kids' questions.
Doris Losey, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, Tampa, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"An informative and interesting look at how belly buttons are formed and how they differ on people and the animals that have them... The colorful acrylic illustrations... add to the text, particularly the detailed drawings of animals. Unfamiliar words are italicized and defined in a glossary. This inviting book is useful for both reports and answering kids' questions." --School Library Journal
"Belly buttons are just the starting point for a fascinating look at how mammals develop... An especially wonderful book to share with youngsters awaiting the birth of a sibling, and a great addition to the nonfiction library collection." --Kirkus Reviews
"Through this beautifully illustrated book, children at kindergarten or first grade level can explore the belly buttons of gigantic blue whales and miniscule bumblebee bats...This is an ideal read-aloud to begin a study of life cycles...This delightful book will satisfy the natural curiosity of primary students within a scientific framework." --NSTA Recommends

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Peachtree Publishers; 1 edition (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561452351
• ISBN-13: 978-1561452354
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 10.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,897,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Batten is an award-winning writer for television, film and publishing. Her many writing projects have taken her into tropical rainforests, astronomical observatories, scientific laboratories and medical research centers. She is the author of 15 nature/science books for adults and children, dozens of magazine articles and some 50 television scripts for Time-Life Films, National Geographic, Walt Disney Educational Media and others. She was nominated for an Emmy for her work on the Children's Television Workshop's 3-2-1 CONTACT series. Her books include Sexual Strategies: How Females Choose Their Mates, which The New York Times called "Fun and delightful to read, offering an abundance of fascinating facts." This book led to an appearance on OPRAH. Her children's book, Aliens from Earth: When Animals and Plants Invade Other Ecosystems, won the 2006 Izaak Walton League of America Conservation Book of the Year Award and was adopted by New York City Public Schools in support of the 4th grade science requirement for study of ecosystems. Her children's book, Baby Wolf, was selected by both Scholastic and Troll Book clubs. Her magazine articles have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Ladies' Home Journal, Modern Maturity and others. Her magazine article for Science Digest, "Sexual Choice: The Female's Newly Discovered Role," won The Newswomen's Club of New York's Front Page Award for best feature story. She is married to composer Ed Bland. They have two children: dancer/choreographer Stefanie Batten Bland and writer Robert Bland.

Website: http://www.marybatten.com
Blog: http://thinkaboutwriting.blogspot.com/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, informative and great springboard for conversation.., September 28, 2004

By 

Laurie Faye (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Who Has a Belly Button? (Hardcover)

I read this to my 4 year old boy and he was totally engrossed in it. It provides a very natural springboard to other conversations regarding bodies, facts of life, etc. Plus the illustrations are great - good lines, colors. Multicultural and because it also shows other mammals, very attention-getting. Would recommend without hesitation.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book, July 19, 2005

By 

Meaghan Dinan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Who Has a Belly Button? (Hardcover)

I read this book to my 2 and 3 year old children. We are expecting our 3rd child soon and my older child was entranced by the idea of what a belly button is. This was a great way to talk about the baby in mommy's tummy and also get an early intro to the idea that all mammals have belly buttons. My youngest loved the pictures, which are beautiful, and had fun pointing to the belly buttons on all the animals.
This book could be a lead-in to the "where do babies come from" question, but for younger children, it is nice just to teach them about belly buttons. I actually learned something too--whales have belly buttons! I had never really thought about it before. This is an enchanting book and not too "sciency" for little kids. We all enjoyed reading it over and over. I recommend it to all of my friends.