Review: Argh! There's a skeleton inside you!

Argh! There's a skeleton inside you! explores the story of Quog (an arm-less blob) and Oort (a gas cloud). These two aliens are attempting to get to a birthday party - if only they could get out of their spaceship! They decide what they really need is a hand, but neither of them have one.

So begins a hilarious narrative about their attempts to grow a hand, with a whole lot of non-fiction information thrown in.

This book, by Idan Ben-Barak and Julian Frost, who also brought us the hilarious Do Not Lick This Book (It's full of germs), is fast-paced, funny and factual - and this makes for a perfect combination!

The illustrations are bright and colourful, with an animated, cartoon-like style. This book does not look at all like a traditional non-fiction book and yet manages to explain about the bones, muscles and nerves in our hands. As the alien characters come to grip with this knowledge, so too will young readers.

The final section on How to Grow Hands contains more detailed explanation of the anatomical components of the hand and arm, subtly introducing readers to more detailed terminology and concepts. It is fiction and non-fiction combined in the best possible way.

Title: Argh! There's a skeleton inside you!
Authors: Idan Ben-Barak and Julian Frost
Illustrator: Julian Frost
Publisher: A & U Children's, $19.99
Publication Date: 5 August 2019
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781760631635
For ages: 4 - 8
Type: Picture Book