Book Review
A short overview of this book
What’s In There? All about before you were born is written by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott and talks about pregnancy, and how a baby develops and is born.
There is no mention of how babies are made (sexual intercourse).
At this age, most kids aren’t interested in the details of how they are made. The fact that it takes a male and a female is usually enough information.
This is the third in a series of sexuality books for children in the early years. The previous two looked at families & our bodies.
What’s in There? All about before you were born talks about:
- that every minute and day, new babies begin to grow all over the world
- new babies grow inside a special place in a woman – uterus
- a new baby starts as one tiny cell – half comes from a woman’s body and the other half from a man’s body
- the new baby starts off very small and gradually grows bigger
- the stages that the baby goes through in its growth
- how the baby is fed whilst it is growing inside
- the woman’s uterus grows and stretches to make room for the growing baby
- how the baby is born – vagina or caesarian
- brand new babies can do a lot of things – cry, burp, feed, etc
- sometimes babies can be twins, or triplets or more
- babies are born into or adopted into their family
Reading Tips
Make sure you have a look at the book first (before you read it to your child)! That way you will know what to expect. You can find some tips in this article on how to read ‘sex ed’ books.
There is no mention of sex in this book. When kids first become curious about babies and pregnancy, they aren’t actually wanting to know about sex – they are just wanting really basic information about the topic.
This book is a picture book but it is very wordy. You may have to summarise the text on some pages, as it is very comprehensive. Most 3 year olds would not have the attention span to sit through a ‘start to end’ read of this book.
Is your child old enough to hear about pregnancy and where babies come from? Yes, they are, and this is a lovely book to start with. This book is very age-appropriate as it does not talk about sexual intercourse.
When young kids first start asking about where they come from, it isn’t sex that they are asking about. They just want to know that they grew inside your tummy (or someone else’s). You can add in the details as they get older and become more interested in the details.
✅ Buy a copy of What’s in There? All about before you were born at Amazon or Book Depository.
What’s in There? All about before you were born by Robie H. Harris is a great first book that will satisfy your child’s curiosity about where they come from! It talks about conception very briefly but with enough detail to satisfy a young child’s curiosity. It provides a lot of information about how the baby develops and what the baby does whilst it is inside growing. It answers all the questions that kids have about this great mystery of life.
So, do make sure that you go and have a look at What’s in There? All about before you were born. It is one of my favourite books on pregnancy for young children to read. It is one that my kids have really enjoyed too!
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 3 to 8 years.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of What’s in There? All about before you were born at Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! I’m Cath Hak, the founder of Sex Ed Rescue. I’m all about helping parents find a better way to talk to their kids about sex. Today, I want to tell you about a fantastic book called Before You Were Born by Robie Harris.
Now, Robie Harris is like the sex education guru. She’s written this big, thick book that covers absolutely everything you need to know. But she’s also come out with a series of other books that dive deeper into specific topics. And let me tell you, parents love them! They’re not only informative, but they also keep kids engaged and entertained.
So, Before You Were Born is all about pregnancy. It follows the journey of a heterosexual couple who are expecting another baby. It starts off by giving a little intro to pregnancy. You’ll see how the baby grows from just one tiny cell, with half coming from the woman’s body and half from the man’s body. The book takes you through all the stages of pregnancy, showing how the baby develops and what it does inside the womb. It even touches on how the mother feeds the baby and helps it grow.
And then, the big moment arrives—the baby is born! The book explains how the baby is squeezed out of the uterus, but it also mentions that sometimes doctors need to make a special cut in the tummy. Finally, it wraps up by talking about the new baby and how life changes when they arrive.
This book is perfect for those first conversations about where babies come from. It’s not about explaining sex, but rather answering the curious questions kids have about how they came to exist in this world. Trust me, kids love pouring over the pictures and asking lots of questions while reading this book.
I hope you find this review helpful, and I truly believe this book will work wonders in your family. Cheers!
