It's Not the Stork!: A Book about Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends

by Robie H. Harris

Book Overview

"In their previous landmark volumes . . . Harris and Emberley established themselves as the purveyors of reader-friendly, straightforward information on human sexuality for readers as young as seven. Here they successfully tackle the big questions . . . for even younger kids." -- The Horn Book (starred review)

Young children are curious about almost everything, especially their bodies. And young children are not afraid to ask...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0763633313
• ISBN13: 9780763633318
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 10.1" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

great for kids!

I got this book for my two boys, ages 10 and 5. They were so interested in it. My 10 year old's best friend was there the night when I started reading it to my 5 year old. At first they were giggling at some at the pictures. But pretty soon I had all three of them on the couch with me just soaking up information. They even asked some questions, and said they learned some things they didn't realize. It's very simple, and to the point, without going into great detail. The pictures are cartoons, but very realistic. It's a great book to start out with, because it doesn't get bogged down with details that are too complicated for children this age. I plan on getting the next two books for my older son.

So pleased that I picked this one!

When my kids started asking reproduction and anatomy questions, I checked out and read the reviews of every book on the subject I could find. I'm an RN, so it was important to me that it was accurate as well as engaging for my kids. I am so glad I picked this one. My children were 4 and 6 when we bought this book, and they absolutely loved it from the first reading. So did I. It has all the information I was hoping for and it is presented so appropriately for the age. Nothing is scary or more detailed than necessary. The illustrations are bright and fun and keep the kids engaged. The book is set up in such a way that is easy to navigate - that is, you can read it from beginning to end, and it flows appropriately - starting with body parts and boy/girl differences, reproduction in the middle, and a small section at the end about good and bad touches. You can also easily jump to the section that you or your child prefers without taking away from the book. For example, my daughter is fascinated by the cartoon showing the sperm swimming to the egg and we often just start there. As a parent of young children and as an RN, I recommend this book to all parents

The perfect first book about bodies, babies and more

I recently checked this book out from our local library and I thought it was so great that I came here to purchase it. My son is almost 6 and knows most of what is in this book already, but it is presented in such an entertaining, yet accurate, fashion that he's enjoyed reading further on the subjects presented and I would like to have our own copy both for him and the child I am expecting. I do not believe there is anything in this book that is inappropriate for children over 4 (it says right on the cover that it is for age 4 and up). Even the section on sex is very mild and makes a clear point of telling children why they are not ready to take part in the act themselves. I have always been candid with my son when it comes to any of the subjects in the book as I feel that the sooner they learn, the less taboo the matter is and the more likely they are to make good choices in the future. Parts of the book are amusing little comic strips, something I think that children will enjoy breaking up the monotony of the more structured sections, but all of the pages have some little jokes or comments by bird and bee characters to keep the attention of young children while still staying on subject. While it is very cute, I've found that it is more informative than most books I have checked out on the various topics. It teaches about the differences between boys and girls, growing up, reproduction and fetal development, okay touches vs. not okay touches, friendships and more. A truly excellent resource presented in a manner that kids will actually enjoy!

Appropriate

I first heard about this book on the news. I think it is an appropriate "tool" in aiding your children "over time". At different ages it will be extremely useful, we do not plan to go over the whole book at one time with our daughter, but at the different ages she advances to. I think its great to use correct names for body parts, we should not be ashamed to do so. And its great to understand how the body works. I was never taught about ovaries and thought I was dieing when I had my first period. No one ever taught me about sex which is why I had sex at 16, people who teach their children in advance and at appropriate ages will instill in them important knowledge and give this the upper hand vrs. other children who's parents aren't telling them anything!

Necessary Book for Toddlers

Many people think that this book, and the topic of sex and sexuality, should be avoided until the child asks about it. They hope such questions will arise around puberty. YOU SHOULD TEACH YOUR KIDS ABOUT SEX AND THEIR BODIES WHEN THEY'RE OLD ENOUGH TO WALK AND INTERACT WITH OTHER HUMANS. Why? Because if you wait until puberty to talk about "parts" and "making love", kissing, etc., you're leaving thirteen years during which your child can and --10%+ for young boys and 20%+ for young girls--will get sexually abused by somebody who takes advantage of the fact that they don't know any better. This book is a blessing. In a not-too-graphic fashion, it depicts the differences between boys and girls, differences between men and women, and pregnancy. If you are uncomfortable teaching your toddler about sex, at the very least teach him/her the differences between boys and girls, and what is and isn't appropriate touching. As this book has nice cartoony but anatomically correct pictures of a naked boy and a naked girl, a parent can use it with a child of any age to *at least* show where is appropriate touching for which sex without frightening the child. I would recommend holding off the actual sex part of the book until the child is around nine or ten, but please parents, you must be comfortable teaching your child about his or her own body and what is appropriate touching from anybody to your child and from your child to anybody else. With regards to content, the book uses simple text and real words. For example, "penis" and "vagina". I think parents ought to use these words with their children and teach them when it is appropriate to use them. For parents afraid that using such real language will land them in embarrassing situations, note that your children won't yell out curse words or anatomy words unless you pay attention to them when they do it. With regards to the book's pictures, they are pretty cartoonish but anatomically correct. There is a picture of mom & dad having sex, but nothing that would be considered pornagraphic in any way. The picture of mom giving birth is more comical than anything else, not graphic at all. Buy the book, share the anatomy part with your toddler, share the sex part with your prepubescent child, share the birth part with your twelve- or thirteen-year-old, but don't wait for your child to discover their sexuality at the hands of a "friend"-of-the-family (70%+ of child molestations) or the television (most people in my generation).