The Best Books About Bodies and Reproduction For Little Kids
20 Kids' Books About Reproduction to Answer Questions Like, "Where Do Babies Come From?"
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"Where do babies come from?" It's an innocent enough question that usually crops up once your toddler or little kid is exposed to a newborn baby or a pregnant person, but it's not the easiest of answers to get into swiftly. Along with other inquiries about reproduction, it can be hard to approach such on-the-spot conversations in an age-appropriate manner without having the chance to give it proper thought. So why not let a book assist you before these questions pop up?
From books that teach about the human body and reproductive organs to ones that are strictly about presenting the birds and the bees in a digestible but accurate way, keep reading for the 20 books that can help you approach answering these questions with your toddlers, preschoolers, and grade schoolers.
1 What Makes a Baby
What it's about: "Geared to readers from preschool to age eight, What Makes a Baby is a book for every kind of family and every kind of kid. It is a twenty-first century children's picture book about conception, gestation, and birth, which reflects the reality of our modern time by being inclusive of all kinds of kids, adults, and families, regardless of how many people were involved, their orientation, gender and other identity, or family composition. Just as important, the story doesn't gender people or body parts, so most parents and families will find that it leaves room for them to educate their child without having to erase their own experience."
Ages it's best suited for: 3-7
Buy it here: What Makes a Baby by Cory Silverberg ($17)
2 Amazing You!: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts
What it's about: "'Mom, where do babies come from?' Many parents live in fear of the day their child asks this question—which inevitably happens, often as early as the preschool years. Here is a picture book designed especially for young children who are becoming aware of their bodies, but aren't ready to learn about sexual intercourse. Written with warmth and honesty, Amazing You! presents clear and age-appropriate information about reproduction, birth, and the difference between girls' and boys' bodies. Lynne Cravath's lighthearted illustrations enliven the text, making this a book that parents will gladly share with their young ones."
Ages it's best suited for: 3-7
Buy it here: Amazing You!: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts ($8)
3 Where Willy Went...: The Big Story of a Little Sperm!
What it's about: "Hilariously funny, warm, endearing and totally non-threatening - this small masterpiece from Nicholas Allan presents the facts of life to young children in a unique but totally accessible way. A godsend for any parent faced with awkward questions."
Ages it's best suited for: 4-7
Buy it here: Where Willy Went...: The Big Story of a Little Sperm! ($8)
4 Making a Baby
What it's about: "To make a baby you need one egg, one sperm, and one womb. But every family starts in its own special way. This book answers the 'Where did I come from?' question no matter who the reader is and how their life began. From all different kinds of conception through pregnancy to the birth itself, this candid and cosy guide is just right for the first conversations that parents will have with their children about how babies are made."
Ages it's best suited for: 5-8
Buy it here: Making a Baby ($18, available for preorder)
5 What's in There?: All About Before You Were Born
What it's about: "Gus and Nellie have some exciting news: there's going to be a baby in their family! Join them through the seasons as they watch their mother's pregnancy with fascination and curiosity while awaiting the birth of their new baby sibling. Combining accessible, humourous, and accurate illustrations; conversations between the two siblings; and a factual text, here is the ideal book to help young children understand that the way a growing baby develops inside a woman's body, and how a baby is born, are both perfectly normal and totally wonderful."
Ages it's best suited for: 2-5
Buy it here: What's in There?: All About Before You Were Born ($17)
6 Zak's Safari: A Story about Donor-Conceived Kids of Two-Mom Families
What it's about: "Zak's Safari is a book about donor-conceived kids of two-mom families.When the rain spoils Zak's plan for a safari adventure, he invites the reader on a very special tour of his family instead. Zak shows us how his parents met, fell in love, and wanted more than anything to have a baby—so they decided to make one. In the first half of the book, Zak teaches us about his biological origins. Using simple but accurate language, we learn about sperm and egg cells, known-donors, donors from sperm banks, and instructions called genes that make up who we are. Zak's enthusiasm, combined with his scientific curiosity and gratitude for his inherited "awesome genes" make him the perfect tour guide for this contemporary conception story. The second half of the book celebrates family."
Ages it's best suited for: 3-6
Buy it here: Zak's Safari: A Story about Donor-Conceived Kids of Two-Mom Families ($15)
7 Let's Talk About the Birds and the Bees
What it's about: "It's natural for young children to have questions about their bodies and where they came from, but it can seem a daunting task to answer honestly so that they understand the subtleties of puberty, sex, reproduction and relationships, and are comfortable with their bodies. This books uses clear, easy to understand language to answer complex questions about sex and relationships, and covers all manner of tricky subjects from puberty to consent with delicate accuracy and honesty. Filled with bright, fun illustrations and helpful advice for parents and carers, Let's Talk About the Birds and Bees is the perfect book for explaining the facts of life to small children."
Ages it's best suited for: 5-10
Buy it here: Let's Talk About the Birds and the Bees ($21)
8 It's Not the Stork!: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends
What it's about: "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, engageing 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."
Ages it's best suited for: 4-8
Buy it here: It's Not the Stork!: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends ($13)
9 Where Did I Come From?
What it's about: "An international and beloved bestselling children's classic, Where Did I Come From? helps parents and their curious children get up close and personal with the intimate world of human sexuality in the form of a picture book. Told in an age-appropriate voice respectful of young people's natural intelligence and warmly and relatably illustrated throughout, Where Did I Come From? creates a safe space where families can learn about the traditional facts of life—from the different parts of the body to orgasm to birth. "
Ages it's best suited for: 6-9
Buy it here: Where Did I Come From? ($11)
10 Tell Me about Sex, Grandma
What it's about: "The dialogue focuses on the dynamics of sex, rather than the mechanics, as Grandma reminds readers that sex is not marriage or reproduction, and doesn't look the same for everyone. Instead, each person's sexuality is their very own to discover, explore, and share if they choose."
Ages it's best suited for: 6-12
Buy it here: Tell Me about Sex, Grandma ($20, available for preorder)
11 30 Days of Sex Talks for Ages 3-7: Empowering Your Child with Knowledge of Sexual Intimacy
What it's about: "Written by parents and reviewed by professionals, 30 Days of Sex Talks makes it simple for you and your child to talk about sex in the context in which it belongs; as part of a healthy relationship that also includes joy, laughter and the full range of emotion that defines human intimacy."
Ages it's best suited for: 3-7
Buy it here: 30 Days of Sex Talks for Ages 3-7: Empowering Your Child with Knowledge of Sexual Intimacy ($18)
12 Your Body is Awesome: Body Respect for Children
What it's about: "Bodies do all sorts of amazing things, like move around, grow bigger and heal themselves. Bodies also come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and we need to take care of them so that they stay healthy and strong. If we listen to our bodies they tell us exactly what they need.
The colourful illustrations in this unique picture book will encourage children to love their bodies from an early age. By learning about all the wonderful things bodies can do, and how each body is different and unique, children will be inspired to take good care of their bodies throughout their lives. Promoting respect for body diversity among children will also encourage kindness and help prevent bullying."
Ages it's best suited for: 4-7
Buy it here: Your Body is Awesome: Body Respect for Children ($18)
13 Before You Were Born
What it's about: "It's the mystery of mysteries for soon-to-be older siblings: what's going on inside a pregnant mother's belly? Before You Were Born, a joyful lift-the-flap book for children, that tells the parallel story of mother and baby during the nine months of pregnancy. . . Each page shows what's happening to the mother on the outside and then, under the flap, in the mother's belly to the baby on the inside. Children learn how Mommy is feeling and how the baby is developing, about hiccups, kicks, and umbilical cords, a first heartbeat, and the contractions that mark the beginning of labour."
Ages it's best suited for: 2-6
Buy it here: Before You Were Born ($15)
14 The Wonderful Way You Were Made
What it's about: "The Wonderful Way You Were Made is a story about hope, loss and love. Sometimes you need a whole lot of love and a little bit of science. IVF (Invitro Fertilization) can be a scary and taboo subject. This true story is child friendly and gives parents a simple way to talk to their children about the different way a family can be created."
Ages it's best suited for: 2-12
Buy it here: The Wonderful Way You Were Made ($18)
15 Nine Months: Before a Baby is Born
What it's about: "A soon-to-be big sister and her parents prepare for the arrival of a new baby in the family. Alternating panels depict what the family is experiencing in tandem with how the baby is growing, spanning everything from receiving the news about the new baby to the excitement of its arrival.
In this pregnancy book unlike any other one out there, watch what's actually happening through meticulously detailed, actual size illustrations, perfectly paired with a lyrical yet informative text, and culminating in a warm, joyful birth scene."
Ages it's best suited for: 4-8
Buy it here: Nine Months: Before a Baby is Born ($9)
16 Birds and Bees and More
What it's about: "This colorfully illustrated book is designed to help parents and other educators talk with children about how babies are made and families are formed. It begins by explaining the typical way of getting pregnant through sexual intercourse. However, it acknowledges that some couples have difficulty conceiving and may turn to assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF, ICSI, artificial insemination, sperm or egg donor or even surrogacy for help in becoming pregnant - and ultimately parents. There are also people who are single or in same-sex relationships that are also turning to such options in order to become parents. Adoption and foster care are also included here. The book conveys the importance of children understanding the variety of ways babies are made and the great lengths people may go in order to become parents. The authors contend that knowing the various ways is not to weaken or shame the process, but instead to celebrate the love and desire to be parents."
Ages it's best suited for: 4-8
Buy it here: Birds and Bees and More ($20)
17 Something Happened: A Book for Children and Parents Who Have Experienced Pregnancy Loss
What it's about: "This beautifully illustrated, simple, clear story is designed to help a young child understand what has happened when there has been a pregnancy loss. The book addresses the sadness that a child experiences when the anticipated baby has died. The child's fears and feelings of guilt are addressed as well as other confusing feelings. Perhaps most important, the book includes the family's experience of going on with life while always remembering their baby. The child reading the book is left with a sense of reassurance that life continues and he is still a vital part of a loving family. Most pages include a box with words for parents. These words are there to help parents understand what their child might be experiencing and why the particular illustrations and text were chosen. They are right there on each page so that the parents don't miss them and can easily scan them while their children look at the illustrations. Children who have experienced a death in their family are very reassured by stories of other children who have had a similar experience. It helps them to understand better what has happened in their own family while at the same time offering the comforting knowledge that they are not alone in their feelings."
Ages it's best suited for: 3-7
Buy it here: Something Happened: A Book for Children and Parents Who Have Experienced Pregnancy Loss ($27)
18 These are My Eyes, This is My Nose, This is My Vulva, These are My Toes
What it's about: "These are My Eyes, This is My Nose, This is My Vulva, These are My Toes is a book to help children of all genders and their caregivers normalize body parts. Different parts of the body are covered in fun images representing children from all sorts of lifestyles and backgrounds. The fun doesn't stop there! This inclusive book has children with all sorts of body shapes and abilities to show we all have bodies and can have fun together! This text also includes gender diversity, pronoun usage, and even a little about body changes at puberty in non scary ways! Read along in a fun little rhyme, enjoy the captivating illustrations, and have fun using this text as a springboard for more conversation!"
Ages it's best suited for: 3-8
Buy it here: These are My Eyes, This is My Nose, This is My Vulva, These are My Toes ($15)
19 What's the Big Secret?: Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys
What it's about: "Are boys and girls different on the inside? How do you tell girls and boys apart? Do girls and boys have the same feelings? Is sex a dirty word? Where do babies come from? What does being pregnant mean? How do you get a belly button? Tell me about when I was a baby...
With characteristic sensitivity and humour, the talented team who created Dinosaurs Divorce and When Dinosaurs Die presents helpful basic information, including answers to tough questions for preschoolers, early elementary students, and their teachers and caregivers."
Ages it's best suited for: 4-8
Buy it here: What's the Big Secret?: Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys ($9)
20 A Rainbow Baby Story: The Rainbow After the Storm
What it's about: "A Rainbow Baby Story - The Rainbow After The Storm . . . helps parents open the lines of communication explaining the loss of a sibling through miscarriage, stillbirth or infant loss in a way that children can understand. What is a Rainbow Baby?"
Ages it's best suited for: 2-6
Buy it here: A Rainbow Baby Story: The Rainbow After the Storm ($15)
