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| Where Did I Come From? | 
enlarge | Author: Peter Mayle Publisher: Pan Books Category: Book
Buy New: $22.02
New (5) Used (4) from $5.79
Avg. Customer Rating: 121 reviews Sales Rank: 2424228
Media: Paperback Pages: 96 Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4 Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 8.2 x 0.3
ISBN: 0330331132 Dewey Decimal Number: 612 EAN: 9780330331135 ASIN: 0330331132
Publication Date: July 2, 1993 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Condition: Brand New! Immediate Shipment!
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Product Description Covers the basic facts from love-making, orgasm, conception and growth inside the womb, through to the actual birth day. This book names all the names and shows all the important parts of the body.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 116 more reviews...
Tastefully presented March 3, 2003 193 out of 200 found this review helpful
My parents used this book to help answer my questions about how babies are made when I was around 5 years old. This book provided just enough information to introduce me to the concept of sex and making babies without embarassing me too terribly much.
I notice that some reviewers worry that the book provides children with too much information or is too graphic. I find that the book would be incomplete if some of the information or the pictures were omitted. If they weren't included, I know I would have had many questions unanswered as a child. The tasteful illustrations included in the book helped me understand the book's content, rather than forcing me to fill in the gaps with inaccurate and possibly scary images that could have led to unhealthy views of sex.
As a child, I found myself really studying the pictures, cartoon images that are presented very tastefully and are actually sort of cute. The pictures do show the male and female anatomy, which is important information if a child is to understand how babies are made. They show a man and woman who love each other and are happy, things that would allow a child to have a positive and healthy perspective about sex and making a baby.
As a person who has had personal experience with this book as a child, I highly recommend it. I plan to use it with my own son in a few years.
(One last note: I believe this book is best suited for younger children that are asking questions or could be introduced to the topic of sex or making babies. It might be a bit juvenile for pre-teen.)
A Fabulous Book! September 5, 2001 107 out of 110 found this review helpful
My mother tried teaching me about sex starting at about age four or five--I'm not sure I was ready to hear it at that point, but, as life would have it, a therapist had a copy of Where Did I Come From? on her coffee table when I went to go see her at age six. I was curious about the book, since the pictures were engaging and the topic matter was obviously interesting to me, so she read it to me. It was interesting and fascinating, and funny--the pictures were cartoony enough to be specific but not threatening or gross. I actually recall asking her to read it to me a number of times, and I asked tons of questions. I can't say how I would have responded to having my mom read it to me--a neutral third party was probably the best person, for me, to hear it from, just because my mom tended to get very self-conscious teaching me about sex, and that made me uncomfortable (although, God bless her, she did try!). I really enjoyed the book as a child, and it taught me everything I needed to know to understand what sex and puberty were so that by the time those things happened, I knew not only what was going on, but because it was so easy to ask questions with the book, I knew I could ask more questions of my mom and other adults in my life (doctors, health teachers, etc)(and find more books) when the time came. (I actually can't stress that enough--when it was about time for my friends and I to start menstruating, we actually went to the library (without our parent's knowlege) and took out a book called "Period" to tell us more about it (another great book--I don't know if it's still in print or not-- just the right speed for 10-12 year olds). And that helped a lot too.If you're looking for a way to ease into talking about sex with your kids, Where Did I Come From? worked very well for me when I was 6 (I did actually know what sex was, since my mom told me about it at 4 or 5, but I ENJOYED learning from this book--I think because this one was down to earth and funny. Humor can help a LOT!) And like some of the other reviewers, learning about sex early did not prompt me to have sex early--I waited until I was 19 and then waitied again until I was 23. And I know that the fact that sex WASN'T a mystery to me had a lot to do with my abstaining from it. Teaching your kids about sex doesn't have to be a horrible experience. This is a fun book, and your kids should be distracted by the silly pictures so they won't be looking at you nervously sweating, wondering what to say. Plus, the book will say it for you anyway. I highly recommend the book.
Dissapointing October 6, 2005 76 out of 93 found this review helpful
Although I apreciate the frankness of this book, I was dissapointed by the emphasis on the male's point of view in the book. Considerably more information and pictures of penises are included than vaginas. Also, the woman's feelings, role, and consent are ignored in the discussion of sex. According to the book, people have sex beacuse "the man wants to get as close to the woman as he can." There is no mention of whether or not the woman wants to have sex or enjoys it. There is also talk of the physiological changes in a man when he's having sex, but none anout the women. And finally, lots of talk and pictures about sperm, but very little mention of the eggs role ("semen is how you and I and all of us started") and no pictures of an egg. Instead it shows a picture of a sperm curling up to a heart.
Great, understandable, no-nonsense information... September 10, 2000 48 out of 54 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful little illustrated book that can help parents share information about sex and where babies come from with their children. I especially like the fact that this book is presented from the point of view of that sex is an expression of love, rather than just a presentation of physical facts and the mechanics of sex. Information in the book is presented in a straightforward manner with "no nonsense and with illustrations." As for the illustrations, my wife told me that they also helped her feel better about her own body! How's that for a double benefit? I appreciate the level of the presentation as well...pitched toward younger children...say, ages 7-10. Children really need good, accurate information from their folks, especially as they are surrounded by various bits and pieces of partial and even mis-information about sex which they hear from peers at school and other places. The author uses terminology that is appropriate and understandable. A great little book. While this is a great little book, I recommend using it in combination with another book, "How to Talk to Your Child About Sex" by Linda and Richard Eyre, as part of a combined effort of discussion and reading as you teach your child about sex. Good luck! Alan Holyoak
More than disappointing December 2, 2005 39 out of 66 found this review helpful
Several years ago, I came across this book while I was in college, taking a gender studies class. We had gone to the library to look through the children's books, and our assignment was to find a sexist book (it didn't matter whether it was sexist against men or women). I found this book and read it aloud to the class, and they were all appalled at the blatant disregard for the woman. The man is one who wants to have sex, the man enjoys it, and he's the one who does all the work in creating a baby. Well, the last time I checked, that's not how it works. If the man wants to have sex but the woman doesn't, that's called rape. Women with a healthy sex life SHOULD enjoy it. And a man can have sex all he wants to, but if there is no egg for his wayward sperm to fertilize, no baby can be made.
Now, I don't know what other books are out there to help explain "the birds and the bees" to kids. This very well may be the best book. Although it might embarrass you, you have to be ready to talk about it. You can't just throw this book at your child and hope they get the gist of it. I think four years old is probably a little young. If you chose to get this book for your child, PLEASE explain that the woman has an equal role, and deserves to enjoy it as well.
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