How You Were Born: A Clear Book with Vivid Photographs About Where Babies Come From for Children

by Joanna Cole, Margaret Miller (Illustrator)

It is natural for young children to be curious about where they come from. Using vivid full-color photographs and a clear, straightforward text, this comprehensive book answers the questions they have about how an egg cell grows to become a baby, how a baby lives inside its mother's uterus, and how a baby is born.

Genres: Picture Books, Science, Nonfiction, Parenting, Childrens

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Joanna Cole, who also wrote under the pseudonym B. J. Barnet, was an author of children’s books who teaches science.

She is most famous as the author of The Magic School Bus series of children's books. Joanna Cole wrote over 250 books ranging from her first book Cockroach to her famous series Magic School Bus.

Cole was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby East Orange. She loved science as a child, and had a teacher she says was a little like Ms. Frizzle. She attended the University of Massachusetts and Indiana University before graduating from the City College of New York with a B.A. in psychology. After some graduate education courses, she spent a year as a librarian in a Brooklyn elementary school. Cole subsequently became a letters correspondent at Newsweek, and then a senior editor for Doubleday Books for Young Readers.

Reviews

[Leslie Stair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was perfect for my preschooler who is VERY curious about nature and all babies as well as her own birth.

It gives a lot of information but in a simple, clear manner about the scientific aspects of how a baby grows and is born. It brings up eggs and sperm but doesn't get into the how, which is perfect for the first introductions on this topic. It had great pictures and diagrams with diverse families and even mentions birth centers and midwives as well as showing a photo of a mother breastfeeding while also mentioning that some babies are feed with bottles.
This was exactly the book I was looking for when I set out to find an informative and honest book about pregnancy that would be appropriate for an inquisitive, science loving 4 year old.

[Nicole Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great way to teach my kids about conception and where babies come from without going into too much detail. It presents the science in a way that kids can understand it. My kids loved seeing how babies grow in the womb. They were eager to learn more every time we opened the book. The pictures did a great job at illustrating what was being discussed.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

July 2018 - Ben especially liked the photographs in this one, and it works for kids who are curious about pregnancy as well as those expecting a new sibling.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a woman from my church when I asked how she handled talking to her kids about this issue. It's very straightforward without being too graphic or explaining too much, basically a basis to begin the conversation with your kids about where babies come from. So far, I've just read it myself and will over the next little while start talking to my oldest ones about this issue. Hopefully it will help them understand and help give me a way to explain it to them.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book for teaching the birds and the bees to young children. It goes into lots of scientific details without going into any bedroom details. I especially like that this book talks about babies being born at home or the hospital and that it shows a baby nursing. The photographs are great and diverse.

[Michelle Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great book to read along with my young child regarding the basics of sex ithout giving too much information at this age. I feel like it was perfect for the 6-8 year old, giving them the starter information that will serve as the building block of open conversations later.

[Jeniann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little book about how babies are born that I wouldn't be embarrassed to read to a 4 year old because it's presented clearly but very appropriately.

[Mary]

The birds and bees made easy peazy, lemon squeezy.

Or, you could go with my childhood version, The Modern Girl's Guide to Chastity, by Fr. Douglas. Circa 1927.
Also a gem.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty much perfect to answer the questions of early elementary aged kids without getting into too much detail that they don't need yet. Photos and illustrations greatly aid the explanations.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has simple vocabulary and explanations what pregnancy is, and how a baby is born. Each page has color photographs or illustrations of babies, parents, or fetuses in the womb.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

nicely written for children to read or to read together. not graphic but informative.

[Haley Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very lengthy. It tells all about the process of a baby. I would use this book in a fifth grade classroom.