Book Review
A short overview of this book
Where do Babies Come From? Lift & Flap (First Answers & Questions) by Usborne Books provides a simple explanation of the facts of life to small children.
This is a fantastic little first book that will satisfy a young child’s curiosity about where babies come from. It explains it very simply and does not talk about sexual intercourse.
This book explains where a baby comes from (inside the mother), how a baby is made (sperm from daddy and egg from mummy join together), how the baby got inside the tummy (sperm from daddy joined with the egg from mummy), when babies are born, what babies need, how they grow up, and what kids might be when they grow up.
It doesn’t talk about how the sperm got inside mummy!
I like the fact that it includes animals, as it softens the topic for parents and lets kids know that everyone has babies, not just humans.
You’ll also find some resources on the website that might help with explaining where babies come from. There is also a parent guide that helps with explaining sexual intercourse.
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 3 to 5 years.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of Where do Babies Come From? by Usborne Books from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! I’m Cath Hak from Sex Ed Rescue, and today I want to talk about a really lovely book called Where do Babies Come From? It’s an Usborne board book that I’ve been wanting to get my hands on for a while, and luckily my local library had it.
Now, most of the books I review, my library gets informed about, so it’s great to see them keeping up with the latest resources. This book is perfect for younger kids, with its thick cardboard pages and lift-the-flap format.
I really appreciate that this book was created in collaboration with animal and education experts. It’s simple and beautiful, and it tackles the key questions that kids often ask about where babies come from. But here’s the cool part: it uses animals to explain the process, which helps normalize the topic and remove any shame or privacy concerns.
The book starts off by answering the question, Where do babies come from? It explains that babies grow inside their mothers or inside eggs laid by their mothers. And what’s inside your tummy? Well, it could be a little brother or sister for you!
I love that the book addresses myths too. For example, it clarifies that storks don’t actually bring babies, despite what some stories might say. It then goes on to explain how a baby is made, using simple language about a tiny seed from the father (called a sperm) joining with a tiny egg from the mother. It doesn’t go into explicit details, but it gives kids a basic understanding.
Now, when it comes to the question of how the baby gets in the tummy, the book keeps it age-appropriate. It mentions that the tiny sperm from daddy joins with the tiny egg inside the mother, and then they grow into a baby. It’s a great starting point for conversations about different ways babies can be conceived, like through surrogacy or assisted reproductive technologies.
One thing I noticed is that the book doesn’t explicitly mention intersex individuals, but it’s still a step in the right direction. It’s important to remember that not all kids are strictly boys or girls, and it’s something we can address in our own conversations.
Throughout the book, there are fun and engaging illustrations of animals, like birds sitting on eggs and frogs making babies. I used to point out pigeons to my own kids and talk about their special dance as a way to introduce the concept of two grownups coming together to make a baby. It’s a gentle way to approach the topic.
The book also touches on how long it takes for different animals to have babies, and when a baby is ready to be born. It emphasizes that babies need food, rest, and protection, and that many babies rely on their parents for help. It’s great to see diverse family structures represented too, with illustrations of two dads or a mom with short hair and a dad.
The book wraps up by showing how babies grow and change as they get older. It even includes a little guessing game about what the babies in the book might become when they grow up. It’s a sweet way to end the story.
Overall, I think Where do Babies Come From? is a fantastic board book for introducing the topic of where babies come from to younger children. It’s age-appropriate, informative, and uses animals to make the conversation more relatable. While there may be other books out there that cover similar topics, this one stands out for its simplicity and inclusivity.
I hope this review helps you decide whether to add this book to your collection. Cheers!
