Where Did I Come From?

I checked this book out in a local bookstore, and I have to say, I was pretty disappointed in it. I didn't like the overall "masculinity" of the book as a whole. They give names to female anatomy that I don't think are conducive to a child's learning of the physiology of humans, and yet the male parts are given straight forward names. Why do the female ones get slang words instead?

I wasn't happy with the effort put into describing all aspects of sex. Why do children need to know exactly what it feels like, what it looks like, etc? Really, shouldn't they just learn that it's an expression of love and they'll learn the rest soon enough? Don't children have enough on their plates as it is without them having to deal with graphic sexuality at such young ages?

I truly feel the best way to talk to your child about sex is to do just that, talk to them. Don't just go buy some book and hand it to them and expect that to work.

I gave this book two stars instead of one because it won't hurt the child if he/she reads it. But it's definitely not what I had in mind for the first conversation with my 8-year-old daughter about how babies are made, and I'm glad I looked at it at the store before committing.

Problem number 1 is that there is too much emphasis on the description of the sexual intercourse and feelings during it. For this age, I would prefer something focused on reproduction and anatomy. The whole book is just a dozen pages, and this part takes up three or four of them! The description is cheesy, silly and just doesn't do the deed any justice ('wiggling' and 'tickling' are the typical words).

Problem number 2 is, as mentioned by other reviewers, that it's very male-centric. There is nothing about where the egg comes from, nor a picture of it. When the anatomical differences are discussed, it simply says boys have a penis and girls don't, end of discussion, and not what girls do have.

Problem number 3 is that the font is too large with small spacing, so I found it hard to read. And I didn't fancy the pictures much.

I also find it kind of distasteful that there is a whole page in the beginning talking about what an embarrassing subject this is and how difficult it is to talk about it. Maybe if sex education books didn't start with warnings like that and dealt with the matter in an age-appropriate manner, it would be much easier.

My parents gave me this book and the next in the series "What's Happening to Me?" when I was a young girl (10-ish) and had begun asking questions. While I don't think that it is ever an easy conversation for parents and children, this book WITHOUT A DOUBT made it alot easier! I actually remember thinking that if this was how I was made, I was glad I didn't have to learn that directly from my parents mouths!! My questions were absolutely answered. Answered honestly. As I look back I remember that the best part was that it was written in the context of sex being about love. I think that that was the most resounding thing about it. I want my children to see that in these books, and not the clinical definition which never seems to include that. I am buying these for my sons and I have nothing but praise for how they are written and how they make it easier to begin "the conversation'!!

Where did I come from? The question every child asks and every parent feels awkward in answering. Well, that problem is solved once you obtain this gem of a book with hilarious and accurate illustrations. It is just as wonderful now as it was in the 1970's when it was first published, and I read it to my children. Soon I will be reading it to my small grandchildren. Even parents love this book written by the now famous Peter Mayle. Snap it up while it is still in print!

When my children (now 34 &32) were beginning to ask the "questions" I purchased many books on the subject. This was by far the best. I have loaned my copies of "Where Did I Come From" and "What's Happening To Me" to many people across the area, and all have found them informative, helpful, and delightful. This one has disapeared from our home library, so I am replacing it now with a copy for my grandson, so that it will be here when he asks the "questions". A must have for all parents!