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It's Not the Stork!: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends (The Family Library) Hardcover – Picture Book, July 25, 2006

4.7 out of 5 stars 3,838 ratings

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From the expert team behind It's Perfectly Normal and It's So Amazing! comes a book for younger children about their bodies — a resource that parents, teachers, librarians, health care providers, and clergy can use with ease and confidence.

Young children are curious about almost everything, especially their bodies. And young children are not afraid to ask questions. What makes me a girl? What makes me a boy? Why are some parts of girls' and boys' bodies the same and why are some parts different? How was I made? Where do babies come from? Is it true that a stork brings babies to mommies and daddies? 

It's Not the Stork! helps answer these endless and perfectly normal questions that preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary school children ask about how they began. Through lively, comfortable language and sensitive, engaging artwork, Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley address readers in a reassuring way, mindful of a child's healthy desire for straightforward information. Two irresistible cartoon characters, a curious bird and a squeamish bee, provide comic relief and give voice to the full range of emotions and reactions children may experience while learning about their amazing bodies. Vetted and approved by science, health, and child development experts, the information is up-to-date, age-appropriate, and scientifically accurate, and always aimed at helping kids feel proud, knowledgeable, and comfortable about their own bodies, about how they were born, and about the family they are part of. Back matter includes an index.
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From the Publisher

educational; science; nonfiction; puberty; development; health; body book; diversity; lgbt
It's Not the Stork!
It's So Amazing!
It's Perfectly Normal
Customer Reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars 3,838
4.7 out of 5 stars 3,152
4.4 out of 5 stars 1,143
Price $12.08 $13.38 $9.02
Read all of The Family Library books! What makes me a girl? What makes me a boy? Is it true that a stork brings babies to mommies and daddies? Answer the endless questions young kids have about how they began in this welcoming and accessible volume about life and how they came to be. How does a baby begin and how is it born? Why are some parts of kids’ bodies different from some parts of other kids’ bodies? Answer these questions and more in this informative resource you and your kids will come back to again and again! When young people have questions about sex, real answers can be hard to find. Provide them with accurate, unbiased answers to nearly every imaginable question about their sexual health in this reassuring guide about their changing bodies.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 3–Harris opens by introducing two cartoon characters–a green-feathered bird clad in a purple shirt and blue high-top sneakers and his spike-haired friend, a bee. They wonder, So where DO babies come from? Their conversational commentary, given in word balloons, is a lighthearted supplement to a more focused narrative. Told in the second person, the text is straightforward, informative, and personable. Facts are presented step-by-step, starting from the similarities and differences between boys and girls bodies, moving to a babys conception, growth in the womb, and birth, ending with an exploration of different configurations of families as well as a section on okay versus not okay touches. The book is logically organized into 23 double-page sections. Friendly and relaxed cartoons, either interspersed with the text or appearing in comic-strip form, are integral to the titles success in imparting the material. The labeled drawings show both the outside and the inside parts of the body. As the bee and bird say to one another, Knowing the names of ALL the parts of your body is–PERFECTLY NORMAL! Overall, this book will be accessible to its intended audience, comforting in its clarity and directness, and useful to a wide range of readers.–Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* K-Gr. 3. Harris and Emberley's It's Perfectly Normal (1994) and It's So Amazing (1999), sex-ed books for pubescent and prepubescent readers, respectively, are among today's most frequently challenged titles. Their newest targets kids closer to potty training than puberty, but like its predecessors, it will undoubtedly raise as many hackles as it attracts words of praise. Some controversial elements in the previous books have been toned down or left out here; there are no images of unclothed adults or references to masturbation, abortion, and birth control. But what remains will still widen many eyes: pictures of nude children with body parts exhaustively labeled; text about the "kind of loving [that] happens when . . . the man's penis goes inside the woman's vagina" that candidly expresses what the accompanying under-the-blankets visual leaves to the imagination. Emberley's affectionate, mood-lightening cartoons keep things approachable, while Harris' respectful writing targets children's natural curiosity without cloaking matters in obfuscating language. Based on its length and detail, the book's advertised intent to reach children as young as four seems optimistic. All the same, this will smoothly adapt to the needs of individual families, who will want to choose among the three options based less on assigned age ranges than on personal comfort levels with the topics addressed. For another forthright but less-comprehensive book, suggest Dori Hillestad Butler's My Mom's Having a Baby! (2005). Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick; Illustrated edition (July 25, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 64 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0763600474
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0763600471
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 710L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.63 x 0.46 x 11.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 3,838 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
3,838 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book presents factual information in a kid-friendly way, with carefully chosen language and medically accurate illustrations. Moreover, the book serves as a great tool for starting conversations and helps answer questions, while being factually accurate. However, customers disagree on the book's age appropriateness, with some finding it too mature for young children. Additionally, the pacing receives mixed reviews, with some finding it not intimidating while others note it has many chapters.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

414 customers mention "Information value"378 positive36 negative

Customers appreciate how the book presents factual information in a kid-friendly manner.

"I think this book is well written, covers many difficult and complicated topics in a matter-of-fact way, and is appropriate for children...." Read more

"...There's A LOT of information in here. That can be good and bad...." Read more

"...I am so glad I found this book to help with that. It is geared towards young kids and does address the facts, but in a really age appropriate way...." Read more

"...My kids found the book engaging and understood the information without the stigma of the subject being taboo...." Read more

174 customers mention "Ease of understanding"161 positive13 negative

Customers find the book straightforward and easy to understand, with carefully chosen language that makes it simple enough for children to read through.

"I think this book is well written, covers many difficult and complicated topics in a matter-of-fact way, and is appropriate for children...." Read more

"...was totally fine with it and I think she appreciated that it's straightforward..." Read more

"...book is amazing for all the reasons other reviewers indicated - it's realistic, accurate, but age-appropriate...." Read more

"...It's very blunt about the differing anatomy of boys and girls, while not being tacky or silly, which I really appreciated...." Read more

157 customers mention "Graphics quality"132 positive25 negative

Customers appreciate the book's graphics, noting that the illustrations are appealing, show detailed pictures, and are clear for children to understand, with medically accurate and cartoonish depictions of anatomy.

"...not find the pictures to be too graphic; they're simple, cartoonish drawings of anatomy...." Read more

"...-I liked that there is a picture of a circumcised and non-circumcised penis (she sees them occasionally at preschool, so she wanted to know)...." Read more

"...I think the author did a wonderful job presenting the material and will look into her other books in the future. Illustrations were also great!..." Read more

"...blunt about the differing anatomy of boys and girls, while not being tacky or silly, which I really appreciated...." Read more

57 customers mention "Conversation starter"57 positive0 negative

Customers find the book effective as a conversation starter, making potentially difficult topics easier to discuss and helping parents open up communication with their children.

"...-I like the part on friendships, because it talks in a very child-friendly way about peer pressure...." Read more

"...and I have been extremely happy with this book and it has helped us have a common language that we use in our discussions with our daughter, so we..." Read more

"...Great way to start serious and necessary conversations...." Read more

"This book was very well written and made talking with my daughter very easy...." Read more

51 customers mention "Book helpful"51 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful, serving as a great learning tool that explains how things work and addresses children's questions.

"...it's so informative for a tiny mind, and I know it will be useful for years to come. The absolute utmost praise for this book!" Read more

"...Overall, I believe this book will serve as a valuable resource for parents looking to have open conversations with their children about bodies and..." Read more

"...interested in the science of how babies were made so this book was really helpful." Read more

"...The section about families is inclusive and helpful, as they will soon be spending time their mother and her girlfriend during her custodial..." Read more

48 customers mention "Accuracy"44 positive4 negative

Customers find the book factually accurate and appreciate its matter-of-fact approach, with one customer noting that it presents information without sugarcoating the truth or spreading misinformation.

"...well written, covers many difficult and complicated topics in a matter-of-fact way, and is appropriate for children...." Read more

"...for all the reasons other reviewers indicated - it's realistic, accurate, but age-appropriate...." Read more

"...both boys' and girls' bodies are illustrated in a very simple and factual manner, and all races and body types are illustrated...." Read more

"...but I thought it was very factual, and it doesn't dance around topics, just lays it out as truthful..." Read more

95 customers mention "Age range"63 positive32 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's age range, with some finding it age-appropriate while others warn it's not suitable for younger kids.

"...towards young kids and does address the facts, but in a really age appropriate way...." Read more

"...reasons other reviewers indicated - it's realistic, accurate, but age-appropriate. I bought it for my 4.5 and 7.5 year-olds and they loved it...." Read more

"...on a lower reading level, the layout of the book would not be appealing to younger children...." Read more

"...Friendships, reproduction, sex, gestational periods of the fetus, family relations, okay and not okay touches, exploring your body....gah, it's so..." Read more

42 customers mention "Pacing"28 positive14 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it not intimidating and having many chapters, while others mention it being too busy and having too many pages.

"...The book is very full of information, and it's divided into clearly labeled chapters...." Read more

"...The book is separated into different sections, so that you can focus on only one topic at a time...." Read more

"...Who were WAY TOO YOUNG at 8 and 7 to read this!! This is pornographic in nature!..." Read more

"...It is a book made with love. My sisters and I all grew up with "Being Born" and we have all found copies to have in our homes." Read more

Great job on anatomy and babies but really drop the ball on sex and bad touches.
4 out of 5 stars
Great job on anatomy and babies but really drop the ball on sex and bad touches.
This book does a great job of explaining a lot of technical information about the proper name of sexual body parts and explains in exhausting detail how a baby develops from the joining of an egg and sperm. The no-holds-barred cartoon pictures of naked kids are perfect. But they really drop the ball with the page that explains how the sperm gets into the woman. They introduce sex as a "special kind of loving" with a picture of a couple in bed having what looks like the most amazingly fun cuddle fest complete with little hearts all over the place (picture attached). There're several problems with this; 1) my 6 year old step daughter is constantly complaining that she shouldn't have to sleep alone and very jealous of the other adults in her life that get to cuddle and enjoy special love without her in their beds. This picture isn't going to help. 2) It's vague and misleading and says that when a man and woman get "close together" the "penis goes inside the woman" which makes it sound like all you have to do is get to close to a man in bed and his penis will just jump inside you. 3) It is a complete after thought really when they say that kids are too young for this "special kind of loving" 4) Doesn't "special kind of loving" sound exactly like the words a predator would use? And wouldn't they say "you're a big girl now, we can have special loving together" . . . (Ugh shuddering). We are thinking less information would be better at 6 years of age and rather than throw out the baby with the sex page we simply censored the one bad page with a taped on piece of construction paper. It now jumps from a picture of female reproductive organs to the sentence that says "kids are much too young for a special kind of loving called sex. . . during sex the man's penis can release sperm into the woman's vagina." and then the explanation for how babies happens proceeds from there. The pages on good touch/bad touch are also confusing and don't even begin to address equipping kids to protect themselves from being groomed for sexual abuse or preventing them from being sexually abused. The assumption seems to be that a predator will simply grab a kid and start touching their private parts and that's the only form of sexual abuse. It doesn't address when someone asks you to touch their private parts, show you their private parts or want to see yours. It spends a great deal of time talking about how it is "ok" for a "friend" to hold your hand and hug you and how that touch is ok if you are ok with it. It implies that only an adult might touch you in a bad way (when often it can be a child just a few years older that sexually abuses). It's not the purpose of the book to address this topic exclusively, but maybe they shouldn't have included it at all because it feels like it is a dangerously small amount of information and misleading. I could totally see a kid thinking they know what bad touch is now and a predator convincing them that what they are asking them to do is not bad at all, just something a "friend" does with another "friend".
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2024
    I think this book is well written, covers many difficult and complicated topics in a matter-of-fact way, and is appropriate for children. Whenever my kid has body questions, I take this book out and we review it. I do not find the pictures to be too graphic; they're simple, cartoonish drawings of anatomy. I've always felt like it's important for my kid to know the actual names of body parts and body functions, and this book does a great job of explaining everything. The book is very full of information, and it's divided into clearly labeled chapters. If there's a topic that you don't think your child is ready for (or that you don't want to cover), it's easy to avoid if that's your preference. I was happy to see that they included the "not a good touch" section. I think an updated version should include a chapter on transgender/intersex people, but I did appreciate the section on "All Kinds Of Families".
    20 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2015
    This is one of the best books on these topics you can get for your young child, in my opinion. I realize that kids learn in different ways and at different rates and parents have different styles. With that in mind, some parents will want this for their kids at preschool age and some not for a few years after that.

    I wasn't expecting to broach most of these subjects with my daughter (age 3) for a little while yet, but she started asking a lot of specific questions about bodies. She's a very analytical kid, so I knew explaining the what, how, and why would work for her at this age (we also just had another baby, so she knew a little about that too - wish I'd had this before the pregnancy though). Then my pediatrician said we need to consider talking about good and bad touches with her, since she's in preschool without us now. After weeks of searching for the right book I decided this was the one.

    And it couldn't be better! The illustrations are accurate enough but also cartoony-kid friendly too. There's A LOT of information in here. That can be good and bad. My daughter would not let us take it in small bits and skip things (which didn't surprise me), but if your kid will let you it is set up very well for that. Almost everything is in a 2-page section.

    Some things other reviewers have said they don't like about this seemed to be not the case (and there seems to be only this one edition) - don't know why. Here's what I liked:
    -I liked that it talks about how boys and girls are alike in most ways (like touching bugs and painting, as well as most body parts).
    -I liked that the part on sex just shows a man and woman in bed (with blankets on) smiling with hearts all over. They refer to it as a special kind of loving.
    -I liked that there is a picture of a circumcised and non-circumcised penis (she sees them occasionally at preschool, so she wanted to know).
    -I liked the equation of 1 sperm + 1 egg = 1 baby (my daughter keeps talking about this and using other things, so it's boosting her math skills too - HAH!)
    -I liked that there is mention of other ways to have babies and families, such as IVF (which allowed me to talk to my daughter about how she and her sister were able to be born to us) and adoption.
    -I like the part on friendships, because it talks in a very child-friendly way about peer pressure.
    -I liked that the good-bad touches part was done well so as not to create fear when none exist already.

    There was nothing I didn't like.

    If your child is ready to know more about bodies and babies and such, this is a perfect book. And believe me, your child is probably ready before you think they are. Research has always shown that talking to your kids about these things doesn't put ideas about sex in their heads, it just avoids confusion and danger now and later. The only thing our own parental discomfort with it does is keep the children from talking to US about it.
    53 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2024
    Any parent knows that at some point questions about where babies come from start up. I am so glad I found this book to help with that. It is geared towards young kids and does address the facts, but in a really age appropriate way. I wasn't sure how my 6 year old would respond to reading this, but she was totally fine with it and I think she appreciated that it's straightforward (I was the one who probably felt the most uncomfortable because I didn't grow up learning about these things from my parents). I genuinely recommend it as a resource for families.
    6 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2022
    I bought this book 4 months ago hoping to have help answering my 7 year old son's repetitive question about where babies come from. I was also told by the pediatrician that my daughter, age 9, could start learning about the birds and the bees. I also bought another book that answers kid's questions but decided to start with this book since it had pictures and comics.

    I put off reading this book but finally decided to crack it open this summer and sat down with my children to read it in one day. My kids found the book engaging and understood the information without the stigma of the subject being taboo. I was glad to provide the information as presented in the book so that they understood the biology and science of body parts and the human reproductive process at an age appropriate level.

    I was also pleasantly surprised how inclusive the book was describing families of all kinds. Even though we are a "typical" family unit having a mother, father and two children, I liked that the book talks about some families having one caregiver or two parents of the same sex. We had been talking about the subject and also how some of their friends have divorced parents. Additionally, other bonuses for me was that the book talked about okay touches and inappropriate touches reviewing something I had discussed with the kids and illustrations had people of all different colors since we are a multi-racial family.

    In summary, I feel prepared to answer future questions when the children are older. I think the author did a wonderful job presenting the material and will look into her other books in the future. Illustrations were also great! On a side note, I have worked in training and education for more than 15 years so this material is educator and parent approved (by me). :)
    58 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Lara
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I got for my little one
    Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on September 25, 2023
    The conversations are beautiful after each page of this book. Lots of healthy curiosity and insightful questions, leading to open honest conversations and learning with little one. Recommending this book to all my friends with kids
  • Eliza
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource
    Reviewed in Australia on October 16, 2024
    This book is a must have for introducing and explaining all things bodies/anatomy/baby making/birthing. It will be a great resource for many years to come.
  • Shalina Patel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great explanations!
    Reviewed in Canada on July 28, 2024
    My 7yr old girl loved the book and the explanations. A great age to go through this book.
  • FALE
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect!
    Reviewed in France on February 24, 2017
    A great book many answers and explanations but completely adapted to thé class age.
    Nothing that would make me or my kids inconfortable.
    Funny without being silly. A great way to talk about the making baby things that overcome my expectations !!
  • Customer from Chennai
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
    Reviewed in India on May 7, 2024
    Children assume bizzare things when they get to hear from friends and watch clips online. It is remarkable how the author explains ideas which would otherwise put the person in a rather uncomfortable state. Highly recommended.