Book Review
An overview of the book
It’s Not The Stork: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Families And Friends by Robie H. Harris, has everything that 4-7 year olds are curious about when it comes to sexuality.
This book is written by Robie H. Harris. This book has been around for a long time. This one, I think, is the second edition and she tends to update it every 10 to 15 years.
The author has also written two other books for older children. It’s so Amazing: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families which has been written for 7-10 year olds. It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health which has been written for tweens ie 10+.
It is a fantastic book but it has yet to be updated for the most recent changes in sex education, like the increased awareness and knowledge that we now have in regards to gender. A lot of these books say that all boys have penises and we now know that is not a fact. Most boys have penises but not all. Just as most girls have a vulva but not all.
It’s Not The Stork: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Families And Friends does not talk about gender. By gender, I mean the fact that I have a vulva and I look like a girl but on the inside, I may feel male. So it is not addressing this stuff yet. But then again, I am unaware of any general sex education books for younger children, that do address this. These changes take time to happen and for societal attitudes to change.
It’s Not The Stork: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Families And Friends is a thick book with about 60 pages. It is one of those books that is great if you want a book that covers everything in one book. It is not the type of book that you sit down and read in one session unless you want there and sit and read for 3 hours straight. I don’t have the patience for that and nor do my kids.
So it covers a lot of topics in regards to where babies come from. The book is divided into many different sections. It has lots of pictures and words but it also uses comic strips. Personally, I find comics hard to read aloud to my kids. I am more used to classical books where you have text with a picture.
By the age of 4, kids have become very aware that boys and girls have some physical differences. So the book talks about the things that we have in common and the things we do not have in common. It talks about what the body is like from head to toe, pointing out the private parts as well.
It talks about the fact that boys have a penis and a picture of how it looks on the outside as well as the inside. It also talks about the girl’s parts and about the fact that all kids will grow up and eventually be old. It then talks about eggs and sperm that are inside us and that it is needed to make a baby.
It’s Not The Stork: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Families And Friends does talk about sexual intercourse. So a 4 year old usually isn’t interested in sex whereas a 7 year old will be more curious. That is a problem with these books that cover a range of topics and ages, as you have to pick and choose what you are saying. If your kids are younger, you can just look at that page and say ‘It takes a mum and a dad to make a baby‘. You don’t have to say any more. If they have any questions, make sure you do give them an answer. Then they talk more about the sperm going into the egg, which a 4 year old is not going to be interested. Whereas a 6 or 7 year old will be. Then it talks about pregnancy with images of the actual size of the baby as it develops. It talks a bit on how it looks like in the inside for the baby, how the baby eats and drinks and breathes. Kids are usually interested in that sort of stuff.
It’s Not The Stork: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Families And Friends talks about conception and the fact that sometimes you can have 2, 3 or even 4 babies. But this book is not up to date in regards to egg and sperm donation. So if you have a child that is conceived in the non-traditional ‘penis in vagina’ sexual intercourse, then you are going to have to add your own content by talking about the other ways that babies can be made.
The book talks about the things that babies like and do. It also talks about the fact that there are lots of different types of families and not all families are the traditional mum and dad. Sometimes you might have 2 mums or 2 dads, or grandma is living with you or may even have friends living with you. It talks about good touch and bad touch, the fact that boys and girls can be friends and you don’t have to have boyfriends if you don’t want to.
It’s Not The Stork: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Families And Friends talks about growing up and the fact that it will happen. It is a great book that includes a lot of content. It includes all the stuff that that kids are curious about and that the sex education curriculum advocates. It has the stuff that kids are interested in. It is the sort of book that you would only want to read a small bit at a time. You could work your way through the book with your child, answering their questions as they arise.
This book is perfect IF you want an ‘all in one’ book. If you are feeling uncomfortable with talking to your kids about sex, I would suggest that you look at books that discuss the one topic at a time.
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 4 to 7 years.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of It’s Not The Stork: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Families And Friends by Robie H. Harris from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! So, I’ve got this book called It’s Not The Stork by Robie Harris that I want to tell you about. It’s been around for quite a while, and I think this is the second edition. Robie Harris usually updates it every ten to fifteen years to keep it current. Now, let me tell you, this book is fantastic! It covers a lot of ground, but I have to mention that it hasn’t been updated to reflect the increased awareness and knowledge we have now about gender.
You see, some boys don’t have penises and some girls don’t have vulvas, and this book doesn’t address that. It also doesn’t talk about the fact that someone may have a vulva but feel like they’re actually male on the inside. But hey, not many books do cover those topics just yet. It’s going to take some time for these changes to make their way into modern literature and for parents to change their attitudes. But don’t worry, kids are actually pretty okay with this stuff.
Now, let’s talk about the book itself. It’s a thick one, with 60 pages in total. It’s not the kind of book you’d sit down and read in one go, unless you have three hours to spare (which, let’s be honest, most of us don’t!). It covers a wide range of topics, starting with an index of all the different subjects it touches on. Each section is about two or three pages long, and then it gets into the nitty-gritty.
The book has lots of pictures and little comic strips, which some people find a bit challenging to read. Personally, I’m more used to classical picture books where the text is right there in the picture. But hey, this format has been working for a while, so who am I to argue?
It starts by talking about the differences between boys and girls, which kids around the ages of four to seven become very aware of. It emphasizes that we have things in common, but also things that are different. The book goes through the entire body, not just the private parts, pointing out all the different parts from head to toe. Of course, it does cover the vulva and penis too, with pictures showing what they look like on the inside.
Then it moves on to talk about how we grow up and eventually become quite old (hopefully!). It introduces the concept of eggs and sperm, explaining that both men and women have something inside them that is needed to create a baby. And yes, it does talk about sexual intercourse, which, let’s be honest, four-year-olds aren’t really interested in. But as kids get older, around six or seven, they might start asking more questions about it. So, you can just mention that it takes a mom and a dad to make a baby, and if they have more questions, you can answer them.
The book also covers pregnancy, showing the size of the baby as it grows and explaining what happens inside the mother’s body. It talks about how the baby eats, drinks, and breathes, because kids are actually interested in that kind of stuff. It even mentions that sometimes there can be two, three, or even four babies!
Now, here’s something to keep in mind. The book doesn’t cover surrogacy, sperm donation, or egg donation, so if your child was conceived through nontraditional methods, you’ll need to add in your own content to explain those concepts.
The book also touches on birthing, what babies like and do, and the fact that families come in all shapes and sizes. It talks about good touch and bad touch, and emphasizes that boys and girls can be friends without needing to have boyfriends or girlfriends. Finally, it covers the topic of growing up.
All in all, it’s a great book that covers a lot of important content. It aligns with the sex education curriculum and addresses the sexual development of children. It’s the kind of book you can read a little bit at a time or pull out whenever your child has a question about something. So, if you’re looking for a comprehensive resource, this is definitely one to consider. I hope this review helps you out! Cheers!
