A Kid’s First Book About Sex by Joani Blank
Short Summary
A Kid’s First Book About Sex by Joani Blank is an older, but surprisingly direct and thoughtful introduction to bodies, feelings, and sexuality for children. It covers topics that most modern picture books avoid, including nudity, feeling sexy, masturbation, orgasms, and understanding your own body. While it isn’t easy to find in print anymore, Joani Blank has generously made it available as a downloadable e-book, which keeps this classic resource accessible.
Age Group
Suitable for children aged 8 to 12 years.
Topics Discussed
Dating | Masturbation | Sex | Tweens
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Buy a Copy
Get a free copy of A Kid’s First Book About Sex by Joani Blank here and the WorkBook here.
What this book is about
- This book was first published in the 1980s and still stands out for how openly it talks about bodies and sexual feelings.
- It focuses on understanding your own body, respecting your feelings, and recognising what feels good or not so good to you.
- It acknowledges that kids may have their own names for their private parts and encourages using correct anatomical terms.
- It explores nudity in families and how different homes have different comfort levels with being naked.
- It discusses touch in a very child-centred way, asking whether grown-ups touch you too much, too little, or just right, and encourages noticing your own reactions.
- The book explains that some parts of the body feel especially good when touched, including the clitoris, nipples, and penis, which is striking for a book written during that era.
- It talks about feeling sexy, sexual arousal, and orgasms in a simple, non-sensationalised way, describing them as normal body responses.
- Masturbation is presented as a natural and healthy way to explore your own body, with a strong emphasis on privacy.
- Sexual intercourse is explained with basic, age-appropriate detail about sperm, eggs, and how babies begin, while also making it clear that sex can feel good and isn’t only about reproduction.
- The book includes same-sex attraction and acknowledges that people fall in love and partner with all kinds of people.
- Short reflection questions throughout the book encourage kids to think about their bodies and feelings.
I hope you find this book review helpful!
Happy talking!
❤️ Cath