Book Review
A short overview of this book
The Period Comic by Florence Igboayaka is an illustrated graphic novel (or comic) that helps to prepare girls (or kids with a uterus) for their first period.
This is a lovely book that is perfect for young tweens, as it provides them with enough information to understand why periods happen, and how to manage them. It answers many of the most common questions kids ask about this time of life.
What I like about this book, is that it is in a format (comic) that is different to other books. Some tweens find picture books too babyish, but they also find novels (or books without pictures) too tedious. Plus they are often at an age where you can’t coerce them into reading a book with you. This format helps to make an educational book much more appealing to kids!
The book is also culturally diverse, which means that regardless of what ethnicity your child is, they should feel included.
The Period Comic includes everything girls need to know about growing breasts, acne or pimples, their periods, hair in private areas, feelings, nutrition, managing period cramps, preparing for your first period, period poverty, and so much more. The changes that happen to male bodies (or bodies with a penis) is also discussed.
This book talks about how babies are made (sperm cell joining with an egg cell) but it doesn’t mention sexual intercourse.
All in all, I like this book and I think it will appeal to many tweens!
You can learn more on this page, about how to talk to kids about sex education.
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 9 to 13 years.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of The Period Comic by Florence Igboayaka from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! I’m Cath Hak, and welcome to Sex Ed Rescue.
Sex Ed Rescue is all about helping you find a better way to talk to your kids about sex. I’ve got a YouTube channel where I review lots of fantastic books, like the one I’m going to talk about today.
This book is called The Period Comic: A Girl’s Easy Guide to Puberty and Periods by Florence Igoayaka. Sorry if I mispronounced that, Florence! This book is actually written in partnership with Tricia, a period app and period product company.
Now, what’s cool about this book is that it’s a comic book! Comic books are a great way to share information visually and make conversations about sensitive topics easier. Some kids find it more comfortable to read comic books than factual books, so this can be a helpful tool.
There are plenty of books out there about periods, but what sets this one apart is its focus on ethnic diversity. It’s important for kids to see themselves represented in the books they read, and this book does a fantastic job of showing different ethnicities going through puberty.
The book starts off with a story about talking about puberty at school, and then it dives into lots of information. It covers everything from what changes happen to the body during puberty to how to use pads and where the blood comes from. It even talks about where a baby grows and what the uterus is for. There’s also a section on how to track a period so you can keep tabs on what’s happening.
I really like how this book showcases diversity in its illustrations. It’s not just about one ethnicity, but it includes different skin colors and hair colors. It’s important for kids to see themselves reflected in the books they read, and this book does a great job of that.
Overall, The Period Comic is a lovely little book that explains what periods are in a safe and age-appropriate way. It’s a great resource for starting conversations with your kids about puberty and periods.
I hope you found this review helpful! If you want more information on talking to your kids about sex, be sure to check out my YouTube channel and website. Thanks for watching!
