My Hygiene
My Hygiene
Having good hygiene means we keep the places around us, such as our homes, clean. Germs can live on dirty plates, cups and cutlery. They need to be washed after they are used.
Our clothing can get dirty and sweaty. We should change our clothing every day. Wearing clean clothing helps us stay healthy, and smell pleasant to others.
My Hygiene is part of the “Our Values” series which is divided into three levels. Level One is comprised titles for very young readers; Level Two is designed for elementary school students; and Level Three is for middle schoolers. In this first level, the text is printed in a large simple font surrounded by plenty of white space. Concepts are fairly easy for youngsters to grasp although some of the information might require further explanation from a parent or teacher. Illustrations consist of colour photographs and represent children of different races. However, there is not a single photo of a child with a physical disability or special needs, and the speech bubble style of labelling the illustrations is somewhat distracting. A table of contents, a brief glossary and an index are included, though it is rather unlikely that a very young reader will use these.
In My Hygiene, readers will earn about the importance of keeping their bodies and their surroundings clean for optimum health. Good hygiene includes washing dirty hands, bathing and showering, flossing and brushing teeth, clipping fingernails, preventing the spread of germs, and washing clothes and dishes. Though proper hand washing technique is described, nowhere does the book mention washing hands after using the washroom or before touching food.
Suitable for the youngest students in a school, the books in the “Our Values” series, Level One, are very basic and do not contain anything that wouldn’t normally be covered at home or in a Kindergarten or Grade One class.
Gail Hamilton is a former teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, Manitoba.