It's So Amazing!: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families

First off you need to know this is a large book. It's huge. The picture does not at all convey how huge this book really is. It's about two times the size of a normal size book. I really don't think the description is adequate. I expected this to be a basic story book. It is far more than that. This is a very scientific book. It is a lot like the book "A Child is Born" only geared for kids. By this I don't mean watered down or talking down to kids. It is perfect. In fact I would venture to say you could actually use this as your primary educational tool when teaching your kids about sex for the first time. I originally got a book that was advertised as being the best book to read to your kids when telling them about sex. Actually I think this is 1000 times better b/c it has pictures, it tells it graphically but in cartoon style. It is FAR less traumatic for those parents who don't feel comfortable broaching this subject. It is, however, necessary to note there is a lot of information that is friendly to the alternative lifestyles. If you are opposed to this then you will have to either choose another book OR censor it yourself.

Every parent should have this book available for their children when they start asking those delicate questions. It's So Amazing! cover topics from maturation, to reproduction, homosexuality, and sexually transmitted disease in a non-judgemental, factual way. The bird and the bee that are part of the learning audience help children to feel comfortable with their own reactions to the material covered; the bird is excited and anxious to learn more, whereas the bee is apprehensive and not quite comfortable with it all. The illustrations are humorous, helping to lighten such serious topics but without detracting from the importance of it all. All topics may not be appropriate for most 7 year olds. However, chapters are arranged to start from the most basic topics and progresses to topics that are more sensitive. If the book is read with parent and child together, new chapters can be introduced as the child is ready to learn and understand more. It is also an excellent choice for a child to read alone. After the experience of learning sex education from the dry, clinical books available that traumitized me when I was growing up, I am very pleased to know that my son's experience will be so very different from my own!

A few months ago, my husband asked if I would have a talk with our two girls about growing up and the birds and bees. As their stepmother (for almost seven years), we are very close, but I was a little nervous about approaching this subject. To my relief, a coworker mentioned the "It's so Amazing" book and then felt compelled to lend me her copy for a few weeks so I could read it with my 9 year old. She'd highly recommended it after using it with her two pre-teenager sons. Being able to share the experience of reading and talking about this subject together with Maddie (our 9 year old) was actually...a nice experience and now one of my favorite memories. We had quality time together and opened a whole new level of communication based on trust and open communication. I have to admit, I'd made some assumptions about what she may have learned from friends and school, but she knew less than I thought, and I think the timing was great because she was very curious and starting to ask questions like "where do babies really come from?", and "what are (tampons) used for"? I used the book as a tool for our conversations, following Maddie's interests and curiosities. We read some chapters together, and skipped some others (for now), going at her pace. In our first sitting, she wanted to keep going for almost an hour!I finally returned the book to my coworker, so am getting around to purchasing our own copy since I know Maddie and her sister will enjoy having it through their pre teen (and teen) years (I know I will).

This book is perfect for children to read before entering puberty! Robie Harris explains male and female body parts (inside and out), what changes take place during puberty, how an sperm fertilizes an egg, what sex is, what love is, what happens during pregnancy (including how a baby grows and how one is born), different types of families (gay, straight, adoption, etc), good and bad touches, and even a bit about HIV and AIDS. The author explains everything very honestly without being judgmental, although he leaves room for a parent to explain his or her own values to a child. For example, while explaining masturbation he writes, "Every family has its own thoughts and feelings about masturbation...Some people and religions think it's wrong to masturbate."The book covers a lot of information, but presents it in a fun and simple way. The cartoon illustrations are complete without being terribly graphic, and the small bird and bee throughout the book serve as "tour guides". This book will definitely be on my bookshelf when my daughter starts asking questions.