First Body Book by Clive Gifford

Hey there! I’m Cath Hak, and welcome to Sex Ed Rescue. On my YouTube channel, I review a bunch of books because I truly believe that books can make conversations about love, sex, relationships, and growing up easier and more natural. I also have a website where I show you a better and simpler way to talk to your kids about these topics. Today, I want to tell you about a book that a mom recommended to me.

It’s called The First Body Book, published by Miles Kelly. Now, before we dive in, let me just say that sometimes these books don’t have an author listed, but that’s okay. So, this book is all about bodies. Most of these books don’t start with the reproductive systems, but don’t worry, they’re usually tucked away at the back. I’m not sure why they do that, maybe they think it’s something to hide, but I believe it’s important to include this information.

You see, many books don’t talk about the reproductive system because some parents prefer not to have it in there. And let’s face it, publishers write books to make money, so they’re more likely to sell a book that doesn’t include this stuff. But that’s why I search for books that do include it, like this one.

The First Body Book begins by explaining how babies are made. It doesn’t go into explicit detail about sexual intercourse, but it does talk about how a cell from a man and a cell from a woman join together inside the woman’s body. Then, that new cell splits and grows into a baby. It’s a simple and age-appropriate explanation. The book also covers the topic of growing up, from being born to becoming an adult. It discusses how our bodies change along the way.

Let me flip through the pages and find some more interesting tidbits for you. Ah, here we go! It covers all the different parts of the body, from head to toe. It even explains how our bodies work on the inside. There are great illustrations showing the internal organs and the external parts too. Oops, my bad! I just realized that I missed something earlier. Usually, when I review a book about the human body, I look for information about the reproductive organs. Surprisingly, this book doesn’t mention penises or vulvas. It’s quite interesting, to be honest. I would expect a book that talks about how babies are made to include those details. But hey, it’s still a good book overall.

One thing I really like about The First Body Book is its cultural diversity. It features people with different skin colors and even touches on disability awareness. That’s definitely a plus. However, it’s a bit odd that they left out the information about genitals. But you know what? Books like this are still valuable because they help normalize these topics. You can borrow this book from the library or buy it for your own collection. The fact that it talks about how babies are made or includes the reproductive organs helps remove any shame or stigma associated with these body parts.

Personally, I find this book enjoyable to read with kids. It’s filled with interesting facts that little ones love. It’s just a shame they forgot to include the genitals. Sometimes, the thought process behind these books surprises me. Even some of the top-selling body books on Amazon don’t mention them. It’s just bizarre. That’s why it’s even more important for us to find books that do cover these topics.

I hope this review was helpful to you. Cheers!