Give Me Back My Bones! by Kim Norman

After a stormy night at sea, the bones of a pirate skeleton have scattered far and wide. The skeleton, our first-person narrator, is on a quest to locate his bones and reconstruct himself. As he discovers each bone-gone-rogue in various ocean hiding spots, he rhymes about his bones (using all of the proper anatomical vocabulary!) and describes their function in the body.

There is no real plot to speak of; rather, the focus lies squarely on marrying clever poetry with an honest-to-goodness science lesson.

Give Me Back My Bones! is a rare picture book that would appeal to both your kindergartner and your fifth grader. The silliness of the book’s premise (a disassembled skeleton, clumsily putting himself back together) will make your little ones giggle, and older children will appreciate the exceptional wordplay in the rhyming verse. And here’s a bonus: parents and teachers will appreciate that while the kids are laughing, they are also learning vocabulary words!

While the thought of a picture book about a skeleton might seem odd or creepy at first, the illustrations are drawn humorously. The book’s tone is light-hearted and breezy. It makes for a fantastic read-aloud.

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1. Have you ever broken a bone?
2. Where is your femur? Mandible? (insert name of bone here)
3. Could a skeleton really put himself back together? Who might be able to reassemble a skeleton?