Where Did I Come From?: An Illustrated Childrens Book on Human Sexuality

Unlike the previous reviewer I would read it to my crazy four year old except that I can envision him running around saying "Mom, mom look at my stiff [...]." I will; however, read it to him when he's five. I just read it to my 7 year old daughter and she had me read it 2 nights in a row. Her only comments were some giggling, a couple of "eww that's gross" and one "is this really true?" I bought it on Dr. Joy Browne's (the radio psychologist) recommendation and highly recommend it myself. Let's face it, it's just sex. Our children are exposed to violent and sexual images if allowed free rein with TV viewing. I see no problem with having my child know about sex. I would much rather have my children know the facts rather than find "facts" out from schoolmates. I wouldn't call the text or pictures graphic. It's cartoon pictures and what's wrong with showing human anatomy? The book doesn't show actual sex, just a naked man and woman while the author names the body parts. It actually was written for young children based on the vocabulary used by the author. I would've read it to my daughter at 5 if I had known about it. After all, it's just sex and we all do it, so what's wrong with an informed child? The book starts by naming male and female body parts and the differences between men and women. It then goes on to discuss Mom and Dad in bed and kissing and moves on to "making love" from arousal to orgasm and goes on to discuss how a baby is made right up through birth. Thorough enough and clear enough and if your child wants to ask questions they will.

I love this book. It opened the door to an easier-than-I-thought-it'd-be conversation for my husband and I to have with our two daughters. For us, the conversations that have stemmed from this book have ranged from puberty and our changing bodies, to pornography (good pictures, bad pictures), to inappropriate touching/looking, to showing affection in a loving relationship. A friend recommended this to me as I was struggling with a very curious 3rd grade daughter and an extremely modest 5th grade daughter. The two of them knew some general information already, it takes a man and a woman and they need to be naked, but I didn't know how to explain more of the details of intercourse in a way they would understand but wouldn't shock them either. I felt like my girls were ready (and needed) to know. My husband and I read it together with our daughters and it created an important level of confidence and comfort and trust in our relationship and for this topic. It opened the door to NOT EMBARRASSING conversations and further questions my girls had. I think this is an excellent resource to begin the conversation of sex and understanding that intercourse is for a loving relationship and for creating life. This book explains intercourse in a kid-friendly, yet still accurate way...from an erect penis entering the vagina to ejaculation...then onto fertilization and progression of a fetus to birth. **I especially liked the explanation that when two people love each other they want to be as close to one another as possible, and the man's penis in the woman's vagina is as close as you can be.**

My mom read this book with my sister when she was 8 years old. At the time, I was 5 and I BEGGED to be included, so my mom allowed me to read it, too. What a GREAT book! It told me everything I wanted to know, plus more. I was a little put off by the nudity at first, but my parents assured me there was nothing shameful about body parts. Still, the book did cover privacy and keeping our parts to ourselves. Flash forward 36 years, and I now have my own 8 and 5 year old. I was so excited to order this book and run it past my husband before reading it with the kids. Sadly, he says this book is "pornographic" and doesn't want to share it with our kids. Sad. I think it is perfectly appropriate and helpful.

My mom read this to my brother and I when we were about 7 and 8. For some reason my brother kept requesting this book as our nightly read . . . hmmmm. =p The illustrations definitely show what's what, but they aren't drawn in such detail that they're obscene or uncomfortable. The cartoons are round jovial-looking people with middle-aged bodies rather than svelte young hubba hubba type bodies. This makes it easier on the reader and less eye-popping to the listener. The explanations are very frank and to the point; however, they're written so that young children can understand w/o Understanding, if you catch my drift. It's enough to make the reader blush a bit and Just enough to where I won't post an excerpt, but not so much that Amazon would reject my review if I Did post an excerpt. I'm just a bit shy. =D The best I can say is, pick up a copy, flip through the pages and read what's written. You'll find that it's far from offensive and even uses some humor to put both reader and listener at ease when explaining some of the more blush-inducing things (i.e. "it rhymes with Carolina"). "This part often happens in bed, because a bed is so nice and comfortable." Even if you're not comfortable reading it to your child, the print is large enough and the words are small enough to where the child can read it on their own And understand it. Oh, one more thing. The cartoons are drawn holding hands and with hearts around them and things of that nature to reinforce the idea that this is all about love and caring, which is also a theme carried throughout the words. For that alone, it gets my vote!

under penis section “all you boys have one.” under vagina section immediately following: “ “ nothing there. ie they don’t say “all you women have one” or all you girls have one. they also say a man has something a woman doesn’t have, but they don’t say anything like that for the vagina, ie they are describing the vagina as the absence of something rather than the presence of something. if you can’t name it and describe it equally, then it doesn’t get equal scientific validity, and I don’t think it’s right to shame women by making them feel that their reproductive parts should be invisible or negative in the process of teaching them about sex. otherwise seems solid albeit (necessarily) cringeworthy.

I didn't have this book as a child - I learned about human reproduction from public school (and what I could figure out on my own from the way the local dogs and cats would have puppies and kittens). I understood the mechanics, but had little context, being the youngest kid in the house. I just purchased this for my 7 yr old son, and while I figure we're both going to laugh over the pictures, I would like to point out to those who feel the descriptions given regarding intercourse, how it feels and such, need to remember that children don't live in a vacuum. If you and your partner engage in sex at home, even with the bedroom door closed, there's a good chance that Little Ears will hear SOMETHING "fun" going on in there. If they know that the fun activity is supposed to be FUN-For-Grownups, they'll generally giggle to themselves and go about their own business. The illustrations are goofy and non-threatening, without being confusing or grotesque. The information given is entertainingly matter-of-fact without being dry, boring or uninteresting. (edited for one spelling error)

I used this book for my children forty years ago and recently bought for a "bring a book" for a baby shower. When my children reached that questioning age and asked that dreaded question "how are babies made?" I took them by the hand, sat them down and read this adorable book that tells the facts in an illustrated visual fashion that will have your curious child armed with the correct answers without the uncomfortable dread that usually leaves a parent tongue tied. It is one of the most important child-rearing book you will ever purchase and certainly worth the low-cost price tag. Your child will absorb a little more each time you read this book to them until they say "yeah mom, I get it!" Also a great book to point out the "private" places that no one touches. Every home should have this book and, in my opinion, every school since the schools have taken over some parenting to our children. Buy it and pass it one to your children because it is timeless in its presentation.

I got this book because I feel sex education is very important. I was raised by a Labor & Delivery room nurse and a reproductive biologist set of parents. We had very scientific and meaningful discussions about all topics relating to love and reproduction. I was appalled with the humorous implication of sex in this book. We came from sperm? "this sticky stuff is how you and I and all of us started" What about the preparation of the the egg? And the combinations of DNA? An orgasm feels like a sneeze? What are we kidding? Now kids will never think of sneezing the same. And anyway, if that is how others' orgasms feel... so sad for you! And a woman's orgasm does not originate from the vagina. All the boys -and girls for that matter- who read the book will forever be confused! Why do kids need to have the feeling of an orgasm explained anyway? I appreciate the attitude of frankness in the book; However, I think it is blatantly written by a man (our poor daughters) and leaves out the amazing science of reproduction. I will continue my search for a book with better content.