"The" classic "first talk" book. I bought this for my special-needs son, who is 12. It's meant for a younger child, but he is only able to comprehend the basics so I felt this would be the perfect way to introduce the subject, as I'd attempted as "just talking" and it didn't seem to be sinking in. Basically, he is in middle school now, and although he's in a special needs class, I was worried he'd hear tall tales running around school, so I wanted him to have a basic knowledge coming from home first.
It all went well, he grasped the concepts and as I recall from having been a very little girl, the "steps up" (flower...then chicken...then dog...then human) "eased" the subject along. There was a little bit of giggling but nothing unexpected. Concepts were as I remembered them: clear, and neither overly-babyish, nor too clinical and wordy.
The artwork is lovely. Just lovely. And yes, it's fairly explicit at times, but in an "artsy" (cardboard cutouts) way, so...nothing that would make a squeamish child say "gross!" yet visually informative.
I would absolutely recommend this book. I'd say it's geared toward elementary school-age children; any older and they've probably already heard it from their friends if you haven't managed to give "the talk" yet. As I said, we have a special circumstance, and this fit the bill beautifully in that regard, and rounded things out a bit for my nine-year-old as well (we'd already had a brief version of the talk several times).
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Reviews with images
Fantastic book!
This book is very informative without being too graphic or leaving too many things unanswered.My 7 year old recently asked me how babies actually get into your belly. I cringed and told her we'd talk about it later. After lots of research I found this book and all the wonderful reviews that came with it. Particularly reassuring were the reviews from adults who had read this book as a child and loved it.I sat down and read this with my child and found it very appropriate for her age. It starts with explaining how plants and animals reproduce and has cute paper cut out animation type pictures (think South Park) that are detailed but appropriate. When it gets to how humans reproduce there is a picture of a man and woman in bed about to kiss with the covers pretty much up to their necks. Very appropriate.I appreciate that the human reproduction part states: "Unlike plants and animals, when human mothers and fathers create a new baby they are sharing a very personal and special relationship."All in all this is a fantastic book. It's sad that it is not longer in printing and very hard to find. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to state the true facts to their children in a gentle and age appropriate manner. I gave this to my daughter to read whenever she wants and bought a second copy for my toddler when he is old enough and ready for "the talk".
Top reviews from other countries
Misty Roth
Still relatable after what...40 years
Reviewed in Canada on November 30, 2020
...Eric
A philosophy of life that lasts a lifetime
Reviewed in Germany on July 10, 2019
Matteo Casadio Strozzi
I had the italian version... unfortunately it is not aailable
Reviewed in Italy on December 12, 2016