by Robie H. Harris
Harris, R. H. (1999). It's so amazing. Cambridge: Candlewick Press.
A narrator explains to a bird and a bee the facts of life. Popular myths are dispelled, the differences between males and females are explained, pictures of genders as they progress from baby to older grownup are shown, eggs and sperm are described, and the term "sex" is defined. The book then moves on to a discussion of love, how a baby grows in the womb, the way multiple births happen, chromosomes, families, and even sexual abuse.
Even as an adult, I was not looking forward to reading a book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families. But I have to say that this one was done in a way that will appeal to children. All the facts are certainly in the text and drawings, but the presence of the two animal "mascots," the bird and the bee (tee-hee) make it fun, especially since readers will likely fall into one of the two categories that they represent. As vocalized on the cover by the bird, "Every single thing about where babies come from is SO-OOO A-MAZING to me!" and the bee, "Can we talk about something else? ANYTHING else?" Robie Harris and Michael Emberley really nailed it with their balance between comic-style anecdotes, anatomically correct drawings, and text. I think to a child, tween, or teen, this balance will help the book feel less embarrassing and possibly even fun. "The Amazing Egg Trip" was my favorite chapter due to the illustrations. Ultimately, I hope that parents will use this book as a tool to work in tandem with discussions they will have already had with their child rather than let the book do the educating on its own.
🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮
Author, Robie Harris's website: http://robieharris.com/
A narrator explains to a bird and a bee the facts of life. Popular myths are dispelled, the differences between males and females are explained, pictures of genders as they progress from baby to older grownup are shown, eggs and sperm are described, and the term "sex" is defined. The book then moves on to a discussion of love, how a baby grows in the womb, the way multiple births happen, chromosomes, families, and even sexual abuse.
Even as an adult, I was not looking forward to reading a book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families. But I have to say that this one was done in a way that will appeal to children. All the facts are certainly in the text and drawings, but the presence of the two animal "mascots," the bird and the bee (tee-hee) make it fun, especially since readers will likely fall into one of the two categories that they represent. As vocalized on the cover by the bird, "Every single thing about where babies come from is SO-OOO A-MAZING to me!" and the bee, "Can we talk about something else? ANYTHING else?" Robie Harris and Michael Emberley really nailed it with their balance between comic-style anecdotes, anatomically correct drawings, and text. I think to a child, tween, or teen, this balance will help the book feel less embarrassing and possibly even fun. "The Amazing Egg Trip" was my favorite chapter due to the illustrations. Ultimately, I hope that parents will use this book as a tool to work in tandem with discussions they will have already had with their child rather than let the book do the educating on its own.
🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮🕮
Author, Robie Harris's website: http://robieharris.com/
