Skin

Did you know that if you could take your skin off like a coat and spread it out, it would measure about 21 square feet – the size of an average bedroom? Thankfully, this is something that humans can’t do, because without our skin, we could not survive! It is the single most important human organ, and it protects our fragile insides from water, dust, and germs. In Skin, kids will learn all about this indispensable feature of the human body and its many vital functions, including its incredible ability to regrow itself over and over again. But this issue is not just about skin itself: Kids will also get all the facts about how the hair and nails in which we take such pride and joy are actually varieties of dead skin.

A cross-section of the complex structure of skin, for kids, comes next, and is followed by an explanation of what makes some skin light and others dark, resulting in more than 30 unique skin colors recognized by scientists. They’ll also get an overview of how national debates and political tensions based on skin color have affected human history, and end their exploration with a colorful section on the many varieties of animal skins, which can show up as feathers, scales, hooves, and fur.