What Makes a Baby by Cory Silverberg: Book Review

Book Review

A short overview of this book

When it comes to talking to your little ones about how a baby is made, then What Makes a Baby by Cory Silverberg, is the book to grab.

What I love about this book, is that it answers the question of how babies are made but it doesn’t mention sex! This is pretty important for a couple of reasons:

  1. It allows you, the parent, to first start talking about the tricky topic of how babies are made, without having to actually talk about sex – which means that by the time you get to sex, you will be a lot more comfortable with the topic!
  2. Kids actually aren’t interested in learning about sex, when they first start asking this question! They get interested in the technicalities of how a baby is made a few years later.

The book is also diversity-friendly! Which means that it takes into consideration all the different ways that your child may have ended up in your family – two dads, two mums, IVF, surrogacy, adoption.

What Makes a Baby, is a good first book to have in your collection of baby-making books!

This book talks about:

  • the fact that babies are made of something
  • they need an egg – not all bodies have eggs – some do and some don’t (this  can help with explaining why you may have needed an egg donor to make your child)
  • they need a sperm – some bodies have sperm and some don’t (again, this provides that opportunity to talk about why you may have needed a sperm donation to make your child)
  • that the egg and sperm have many stories about the body inside (this can help with explaining things like why your child may have red hair and you don’t)
  • that you need an egg from one body and en egg from another body to make a baby (this can help with chatting about the fact that you may have had an egg or sperm donated from a donor)
  • that you need a place for a baby to grow (this can help with explaining that not all bodies have a uterus and that sometimes you need to use someone else’s to grow a baby)
  • a uterus is where a baby grows, some bodies have a uterus and some don’t (this can help with explaining why you may have needed to  use someone else’s uterus to make your child)
  • where the uterus can be found
  • when the egg and sperm meet they join together and share their stories (this can help with explaining why your child may have mums nose but dads skin colour)
  • the egg and sperm can make a brand new thing which sometimes grows into a new baby (this can help with explaining a miscarriage or a neonatal death)
  • asks the question – who helped to bring the sperm and egg together that made you? (perfect opportunity to discuss how your child was made)
  • everything grows differently and in their own way (this can help with explaining to kids about why we are all different – perfect opportunity to explain disabilities too)
  • the baby gets bigger and takes 40 weeks to grow
  • it can come out when it is ready or sometimes it needs help (this can help with explaining how your child was born)
  • the baby needs help to come out and it comes out through the vagina or through a special opening below the belly button
  • the birth of a baby is a pretty big deal for everyone who has waited for the baby to be born (this can help with explaining the other people who may have been involved in the making of your child)

What Makes a Baby, by Cory Silverberg, is the first book that you should be using when your child asks the question ‘Where do babies come from’.

Ideal Age

Ideal for children aged 3 to 7 years.

Buy this book

✅ Buy a copy of What Makes a Baby by Cory Silverberg, from Amazon.

Video Transcription

A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener

Hey there! Let’s dive into this awesome book by Cory Silverberg called What Makes a Baby. It was first released in 2012 as a Kickstarter project and has since become a go-to resource for sex education. Cory Silverberg is a sex educator, psychologist, and sex therapist based in the States, and he’s done some fantastic work in the field of sex education.

Now, this book is perfect for those moments when your kids start asking about where babies come from. You know, they’re curious little beings, but they don’t necessarily need all the nitty-gritty details about the deed. They just want to know how babies are made. And that’s where this book comes in. It’s a wonderful way to start the conversation without diving into the explicit stuff.

The illustrations and images inside are absolutely beautiful, by the way. They really capture the essence of the story. The book begins by explaining that babies can’t just appear out of thin air. It introduces the concept of an egg and how some people have eggs inside them while others don’t. Then it moves on to talk about sperm.

What I love about Cory’s approach is that he doesn’t make it obvious that the sperm illustrations represent men. It’s inclusive and open to different interpretations. The book emphasizes that you need two bodies and two grown-ups who love each other to make a baby. It’s important to note that it doesn’t specify that the egg and sperm have to come from the child’s biological parents. It acknowledges that babies can be made through adoption, IVF, or donated sperm. There are so many different stories out there!

The book even touches on the topic of a uterus because, you know, sometimes babies need a uterus to grow. But not everyone has a uterus, and that’s totally okay. It’s a great way to introduce kids to the idea of gender diversity and the fact that not everyone fits into the traditional male or female categories. There are shades of grey, and that’s something worth celebrating.

Then comes the part where the egg and sperm meet. Now, here’s a little tip: kids might get a bit confused by this part. They might imagine the egg and sperm dancing inside the body. It’s important to encourage them to ask questions and clarify any misconceptions they might have. Kids have wild imaginations, after all!

The book also gives you the opportunity to have conversations about who helped bring the sperm and egg together. You can ask your child who they think made them, and it opens up a beautiful dialogue. It’s not just about mom and dad; it could be about other important people in their lives too.

I absolutely love that this book embraces diversity and acknowledges that there are many different ways to make a baby. It doesn’t have to be the traditional route. And it doesn’t stop there! It also talks about the journey of the baby growing, sometimes coming out early or needing a little extra help.

Overall, this is a fantastic book to start off with when you want to talk to your kids about how babies are made. The only downside is that it’s currently only available in hardback, which can be a bit pricey. But hey, I’m hoping it’ll come out in paperback soon because let’s face it, kids don’t read these books forever. You might read it a handful of times over a year or two, and then it’s time to move on.

So go ahead and grab a copy of What Makes a Baby by Cory Silverberg. It’s a great resource to help you navigate those curious conversations with your little ones. Cheers, and I hope this review helps you out!

Need a better plan for the sex talk?
Sign up for my parent newsletter and I'll show you an easier way to talk to your kids about sex!
Featured Image

About The Author

Scroll to Top