What Makes a Baby

by Cory Silverberg

Hardcover, 2013

Status

Available

Call number

612.6

Publication

Triangle Square (2013), Edition: 1, 36 pages

Description

Geared to readers from preschool to age eight, What Makes a Baby is a book for every kind of family and every kind of kid. It is a twenty-first-century children's picture book about conception, gestation, and birth, which reflects the reality of our modern time by being inclusive of all kinds of kids, adults, and families, regardless of how many people were involved, their orientation, gender, and another identity, or family composition. Just as important, the story doesn't gender people or body parts, so most parents and families will find that it leaves room for them to educate their child without having to erase their own experience. Written by sexuality educator Cory Silverberg, and illustrated by award-winning Canadian artist Fiona Smyth, What Makes a Baby is as fun to look at as it is useful to read.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member tierneyc
What Makes a Baby. Written by Cory Silverberg. Illustrated by Fiona Smyth. Seven Stories Press. 2012. 36 pages. $16.95 hbk. 978-1609804855. Ages 3-7.

Silverberg and Smyth offer an excellent answer to the perennial childhood question “Where do babies come from?” The book speaks very generally
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about conception on the level of cells and gives a quick overview of the process of fetal growth and the birth of a baby. Its general outlook and careful language make for a gender-neutral story applicable to a variety of families (it approaches conception scientifically, speaking of sperm and egg rather than man and woman). The expressive illustrations make good use of a psychedelic color palette, while still retaining accuracy in their depiction of scientific concepts. The text explains these concepts in a way that is both cute and developmentally appropriate (such as describing the DNA contained within reproductive cells as “stories” about the body they came from). Questions like “Who was waiting for you to be born?” allow for pauses for discussion and conversation during the read-aloud, so the adult reader can frame the book within a particular family dynamic (the author’s note even has a link to a downloadable reading guide for adults looking to have these conversations with children). Combining both biology and emotions, What Makes a Baby does a commendable job of making this standard topic both approachable and inclusive.
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LibraryThing member mirrani
A good story explaining to children how babies come into the world. I was excited to hear about it because I was expecting a sort of broad view of how it happens, which I felt was somewhat ignored in the end. Yes, it takes two people and it happens in many different ways, I had hoped those many
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different ways would be represented, but then again, for young children you can't bombard them with too much information.

Though the science is explained, it isn't over explained or overly simplified the way many books for young children will do. Overall, it's a great introduction for young children wondering where they came from or for families expecting more children along the way and wanting to prepare the older siblings. You could also use it as a teaching tool to show adopted siblings that we all did come to the world in the same scientific way, even if it wasn't through the parents who hold the baby now. Bright, colorful illustrations will easily keep a young one's attention to the story.
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LibraryThing member bogreader
The concept is great; the text is fair; but the illustrations are not appealing.

Awards

Lambda Literary Award (Finalist — Children's/Young Adult — 2014)

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

9.3 inches

ISBN

1609804856 / 9781609804855
Page: 0.2276 seconds