What do you think?
Rate this book
Amazing You: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts
"Mom, where do babies come from?” Many parents live in fear of the day their child asks that question—which inevitably happens, often as early as the preschool years. Here is a picture book designed especially for young children who are becoming sexually aware but aren't ready to learn about sexual intercourse. Written with warmth and honesty, Amazing You! presents clear and age-appropriate information about reproduction, birth, and the difference between girls' and boys' bodies. Lynne Cravath's whimsical illustrations enliven the text, making this a book that parents will gladly share with their young ones.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2005
33 people are currently reading
664 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
November 1, 2012
Overall, I really liked this book. It did a good job of presenting the body and the first understandings of reproduction. My only disappoitment was in the wording of conception - I find all books I have read emphasize, or word things such, that the sperm is active and the egg is passive (an unfortunate perpetuation, and mirror, of stereotypical male and female realtionships, understandings, and social dynamics). This book was written better than most, but it still describes the process as "the man's sperm joins with a women's egg", e.i. as active, in control male and passive, changed female. I would rather see us stop using language that emphasizes that dynamic and instead use language that shows the active, equally particapatory, equally changed, conscious coming together of both parties, such as "the egg and sperm join together". Both are active and involved and which scientifically is actually what's accurate, as the egg is not passive but contibutes to the process. I know some may think that this is overanalysis, but I think this type of language is very important and has an impact on subconscious ideas that are perpetuated and become part of a bigger social problem. With that said/noted, overall I think the book was trying to represent gender and sexuality in a positive light. I would recommend it.
November 14, 2020
Such a great book except for a couple of things that are likely the result of the lack of conversations happening in 2005, when it was published. With a few tweaks, a lot of the pages could be updated (most girls rather than if you are a girl you have a vagina), but I understand that the book wanted to be as basic as possible and it was 2005 after all. The one page that changed my rating on the book says that when a man and a woman love each other the man's sperm joins with the woman's egg. This makes the book one I wouldn't recommend. While the description will suit most families' narrative about how a baby is made (cisgender and coupled birth parents, no reproductive aids), it simply isn't the case for such a huge swath of pregnancies that it seems damaging to teach it to any kids. The rest of it is so straightforward and honest, it's baffling that this part didn't just stick to the facts--when a sperm and an egg come together rather than dishonest stuff about men and women loving each other. How is that better than the stork? It will make it harder for kids to understand their peers who have a different narrative and it lays the groundwork for being against or at least confused about abortion, adoption, single moms, teens experiencing pregnancy, infertility, and trans people. It's a shame because I don't believe this is what was intended with the book and I appreciate so much else in it. I wish they'd put out an updated version.
March 8, 2013
Says it's for preschoolers, but this book was a good starting point for the "birds and the bees " talk with my 8 and 6 year old. With a new baby sister due very soon, they've suddenly come up with lots of questions and the time was right to delve into the details a little more than we have in the past. Other books I've checked out that claim to be written for my kids' age groups give too much at once (in my opinion), but Amazing You gives just the right amount of information, with room for parents to add more details as needed. This made it much easier for me to read it aloud to them without feeling awkward. Glad we found this one.
September 9, 2022
This is a wonderful book that beautifully illustrated the body , both boys and girls and in a simple way helps us introduce how the baby is made.. the ovum and sperm aspect of it ( where it comes from, which part of the body etc ).. nothing about sex , but that ovum and sperm together makes a new cell which grows into a baby .
It is a book that helps us talk to kids , about baby making , when they are starting to be curious about it.. without going into too many details.. it also introduces parts of both boys and girls bodies, straightforward and as as a matter of fact.. good for body positivity... and consent ..
A great book.
Loved it...
❤ by me and kids.
It is a book that helps us talk to kids , about baby making , when they are starting to be curious about it.. without going into too many details.. it also introduces parts of both boys and girls bodies, straightforward and as as a matter of fact.. good for body positivity... and consent ..
A great book.
Loved it...
❤ by me and kids.
September 10, 2016
I purchased this book for my four year old and it is exactly what I was looking for. It is a great introduction to private parts, encourages children to be interested in them and learn about them, and also provides a basic explanation about how babies are made. The book provides an appropriate level of detail for a preschooler. My daughter has been very interested in this book and "reads" it to her one year old sister since she has basically memorized it after me only reading it to her a few times (which is indicative of how much she likes the book). This book also explains that private parts are private.
December 17, 2018
A good introduction to the basics of anatomy, but I wish it was more inclusive of people who identify differently than their assigned gender.
March 22, 2019
This book sparked a lot of great conversation with my 6 year old. I recently had a hysterectomy so she was fascinated by the pic of the uterus, now having a visual of what I had removed. I do wish they had somehow discussed circumcision as she asked why her baby cousin's looked different than the pic. I also wish it had a line about how everyone has these parts but they come in all shapes and sizes. But that's easily addressed by the reader. My 3 year old has recently hit someone (accidentally) in the boy parts so this was her into into what boy parts are and why the man yelped. We will be purchasing this to keep in our home library.
September 24, 2012
So funny how my little boys were so fascinated learning about their bodies and they asked me to read this a few times. And now my littlest tells me often when I change his diaper, "I have a private part," or he tells me a little bit more about it.
October 24, 2018
Not enough here to be useful.
It's one of those picture books that tries to talk about bodies and sex, and just doesn't talk about the hard parts. Also, I'm fairly sure that they don't actually mean that your "head, arms, hands, legs, and feet" are used "every time you hug your mom, ride a bicycle, or eat a snack." I usually don't use my feet when I eat a snack. I imagine there are some people that do, like people don't have hands. At any rate, it describes private parts as "the parts that nobody else but you sees," which is not accurate, because your parents see those when you're younger, like if you're a preschooler, which is the age this is aimed at. Your parents are going to bathe you. Your doctor's going to look at you. But it doesn't mention anything about bad touching, about not letting anybody else touch you there, or look at you there, which would be helpful.
It's not inclusive of transgender people, but that's fairly typical for books aimed at children this young, especially ones which were written decades ago (2005 in this case) so it's dated because it doesn't explain or leave space for that. It basically says, if you're a girl, you have a vagina. It doesn't use the word "vulva", but it uses the word "vagina" correctly-- it says the vagina is covered by labia. It mentions the urethra, and talks about boys and their penises and scrotums. It says that it's okay if you touch yourself, but you should do it in private. It shows illustrations of boys growing into men, and girls growing into women. They're multicultural and have no armpit hair, and the man doesn't seem to have any pubic hair, either. Here's as close as it gets to discussing sex: "When a man and a woman love each other and decide that they want to have a baby, a man's sperm joins with a woman's egg. From the egg and sperm, a baby will grow." There's a lot missing from that sentence, and that's the hard part to talk about. The easy part to talk about is, 'These two things come together-- Tada!'
It mentions the umbilical cord, which is nice. It talks about babies being born vaginally but doesn't leave room for cesarean sections. I'm getting tired of that in books. It's nice that it mentions the vagina is stretchy.
It's not really helpful. It's just not useful to anybody having a complex discussion. I mean, yeah, preschoolers are going to understand it, but there's important things you need to be discussing with preschoolers in addition to this-- People not touching them inappropriately and similar ideas, because you need to really talk about that before it might happen. You want to head that off ahead of time. At any rate, it's not bad, but it's not great. There's not enough to it. It goes into a little bit more detail than the book "Who Has What?" by Robie H. Harris, but not too much. And that's not a very high bar.
Also, the illustrations are rather cartoony, which is annoying when talking about something this complex and important. They're not realistic enough for me.
Message: Boys and girls have different bodies, and different parts of them are used in making babies somehow.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
It's one of those picture books that tries to talk about bodies and sex, and just doesn't talk about the hard parts. Also, I'm fairly sure that they don't actually mean that your "head, arms, hands, legs, and feet" are used "every time you hug your mom, ride a bicycle, or eat a snack." I usually don't use my feet when I eat a snack. I imagine there are some people that do, like people don't have hands. At any rate, it describes private parts as "the parts that nobody else but you sees," which is not accurate, because your parents see those when you're younger, like if you're a preschooler, which is the age this is aimed at. Your parents are going to bathe you. Your doctor's going to look at you. But it doesn't mention anything about bad touching, about not letting anybody else touch you there, or look at you there, which would be helpful.
It's not inclusive of transgender people, but that's fairly typical for books aimed at children this young, especially ones which were written decades ago (2005 in this case) so it's dated because it doesn't explain or leave space for that. It basically says, if you're a girl, you have a vagina. It doesn't use the word "vulva", but it uses the word "vagina" correctly-- it says the vagina is covered by labia. It mentions the urethra, and talks about boys and their penises and scrotums. It says that it's okay if you touch yourself, but you should do it in private. It shows illustrations of boys growing into men, and girls growing into women. They're multicultural and have no armpit hair, and the man doesn't seem to have any pubic hair, either. Here's as close as it gets to discussing sex: "When a man and a woman love each other and decide that they want to have a baby, a man's sperm joins with a woman's egg. From the egg and sperm, a baby will grow." There's a lot missing from that sentence, and that's the hard part to talk about. The easy part to talk about is, 'These two things come together-- Tada!'
It mentions the umbilical cord, which is nice. It talks about babies being born vaginally but doesn't leave room for cesarean sections. I'm getting tired of that in books. It's nice that it mentions the vagina is stretchy.
It's not really helpful. It's just not useful to anybody having a complex discussion. I mean, yeah, preschoolers are going to understand it, but there's important things you need to be discussing with preschoolers in addition to this-- People not touching them inappropriately and similar ideas, because you need to really talk about that before it might happen. You want to head that off ahead of time. At any rate, it's not bad, but it's not great. There's not enough to it. It goes into a little bit more detail than the book "Who Has What?" by Robie H. Harris, but not too much. And that's not a very high bar.
Also, the illustrations are rather cartoony, which is annoying when talking about something this complex and important. They're not realistic enough for me.
Message: Boys and girls have different bodies, and different parts of them are used in making babies somehow.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
Read
May 12, 2019This picture book provides a basic introduction to sexual anatomy and pregnancy to young readers.
Written specifically for children ages 1 to 6, this book was designed to assist caregivers in answering questions related to sexual anatomy and pregnancy. These can be prompted by curiosity, awareness of pregnant women and babies, or the impending birth of a new sibling.
I liked that the text used the actual medically correct terminology, which it presents in an age appropriate manner and tone. There is no mention of sexual intercourse. The illustrations are simplistic and accessible to young children.
My only complaint is that the topic of pregnancy is introduced by the outdated "when a man and woman love each other." Over 50% of pregnancies in the United States are unplanned with many of those occurring outside of relationships with any degree of commitment, so this is obviously a meaningless platitude. Furthermore, it is a disservice to children who have grown up knowing they or their sibling(s) were "accidents" or who have only witnessed hostility or indifference between their biological parents to frame pregnancy in this way. I would have preferred the topic of pregnancy be introduced by the fact that when a sperm and an egg combine, it makes a baby.
This a good book to sit down and read with young children who have begun asking questions. The author's note speaks directly to caregivers and offers some pointers for navigating the topics of genitalia, sexuality, and pregnancy.
Written specifically for children ages 1 to 6, this book was designed to assist caregivers in answering questions related to sexual anatomy and pregnancy. These can be prompted by curiosity, awareness of pregnant women and babies, or the impending birth of a new sibling.
I liked that the text used the actual medically correct terminology, which it presents in an age appropriate manner and tone. There is no mention of sexual intercourse. The illustrations are simplistic and accessible to young children.
My only complaint is that the topic of pregnancy is introduced by the outdated "when a man and woman love each other." Over 50% of pregnancies in the United States are unplanned with many of those occurring outside of relationships with any degree of commitment, so this is obviously a meaningless platitude. Furthermore, it is a disservice to children who have grown up knowing they or their sibling(s) were "accidents" or who have only witnessed hostility or indifference between their biological parents to frame pregnancy in this way. I would have preferred the topic of pregnancy be introduced by the fact that when a sperm and an egg combine, it makes a baby.
This a good book to sit down and read with young children who have begun asking questions. The author's note speaks directly to caregivers and offers some pointers for navigating the topics of genitalia, sexuality, and pregnancy.
April 26, 2018
My children are getting the age where they are noticing the difference between boys and girls, so
How to talk to your kids about sex??? Awkward.
Maybe not if you talk about it right from the start, at whatever level is appropriate. That's our plan for our kids. We'll see how it turns out...
This book explains the anatomical differences between male and female bodies in an un-awkward way, introducing young children to the vocabulary of their genitals and the basics of how a baby is made and born. The illustrations were cute and not TOO graphic...though the cute "cartoon" images of a nude man and woman is worth noting (showing how a male and female body develops with age). I knew it was there, so I was ready to explain "why are they not wearing any clothes?" and "what is that?"
COMPLAINTS: They didn't explain women's breasts at all (but my kids have seen enough babies nursed they are already familiar with breastfeeding). This was a secular author, so there was no mention of God's design (I added it to the read-aloud). That would have made the book better. I was afraid there would be "more questions" after reading the book, but it seemed to satisfy their curiosity.
How to talk to your kids about sex??? Awkward.
Maybe not if you talk about it right from the start, at whatever level is appropriate. That's our plan for our kids. We'll see how it turns out...
This book explains the anatomical differences between male and female bodies in an un-awkward way, introducing young children to the vocabulary of their genitals and the basics of how a baby is made and born. The illustrations were cute and not TOO graphic...though the cute "cartoon" images of a nude man and woman is worth noting (showing how a male and female body develops with age). I knew it was there, so I was ready to explain "why are they not wearing any clothes?" and "what is that?"
COMPLAINTS: They didn't explain women's breasts at all (but my kids have seen enough babies nursed they are already familiar with breastfeeding). This was a secular author, so there was no mention of God's design (I added it to the read-aloud). That would have made the book better. I was afraid there would be "more questions" after reading the book, but it seemed to satisfy their curiosity.
December 15, 2020
It can be hard for families to talk about our bodies, but it is the most important thing we can do as parents for our children. Keeping those lines of communication is critical to being a part of the conversation because if we don't, kids will learn through other means and maybe pick up the wrong messages or lessons. I found this book easy to read, fun, and Mia and Liam enjoyed reading it and asking questions. Liam went back to it a few times for a while. The only thing stopping me from giving this 5 stars is that it doesn't do a great job covering the critical gender and LGBTQIA+ conversations that are important to have right now. We live in a world where Intersex people feel left out, ashamed of their bodies, and like there are no books that speak to them. I think it would have been awesome and easy to cover those topics in a book like this as well so that we all have better conversations about the beautiful, diverse spectrum of bodies and gender roles that make up humanity. For future versions, maybe, but this is a great start!
January 1, 2024
I think this book could use a few updates to be a tad more inclusive. Also, I think it’s a bit much for my near 3 year old- it would probably be better suited for 5+ age range.
I don’t like that it doesn’t use the term Vulva at any point, which is what we use generally- the vagina is just one hole.
It only shows one way to make a baby, one kind of (white) family, and one way to birth (vaginally). My daughter can see my c-section scars, she knows her sister came from there - as many babies do. Sometimes the baby isn’t ready to come out, sometimes the doctor or midwife has to decide it’s time.
A great alternative for that question would be the “What Makes a baby” book- which my daughter and I both enjoy a lot more.
This one comes with pages that have walls of texts, it’s just a bit overwhelming.
I will say that the illustrations of cis-male and cis-female body anatomy are helpful and age-appropriate.
I don’t like that it doesn’t use the term Vulva at any point, which is what we use generally- the vagina is just one hole.
It only shows one way to make a baby, one kind of (white) family, and one way to birth (vaginally). My daughter can see my c-section scars, she knows her sister came from there - as many babies do. Sometimes the baby isn’t ready to come out, sometimes the doctor or midwife has to decide it’s time.
A great alternative for that question would be the “What Makes a baby” book- which my daughter and I both enjoy a lot more.
This one comes with pages that have walls of texts, it’s just a bit overwhelming.
I will say that the illustrations of cis-male and cis-female body anatomy are helpful and age-appropriate.
February 10, 2017
A great book that raises some good questions, and information for your children regarding their body parts. It gives an honest description of what our, "private" parts are, the differences between a boy and a girl, the anatomical name for our different private parts. It also explains conception in an approachable and appropriate way for the age. It leaves a good opening to start a discussion on body safety, etc. that I find essential as my six year grows and becomes more independent. While, we have always been honest with our daughter about the names of our private parts, and what they are, I am not sure she would have fully grasped the book if it were presented to her as an early preschooler. I would say this book is good resource starting at kindergarten, and/or relevant for any parent trying to have this conversation in a helpful way.
November 20, 2018
This book covered very few topics - especially in comparison to others that we have reviewed. However, given the age of the intended audience (preschool), it makes sense that only a topic or two is being covered.
The best part of this book really was the author's note! It promotes using the correct names of body parts. And the author normalized curiosity - stating that parents can help set healthy boundaries for their child to explore their bodies. That acceptance of curiosity carries over well into the book itself. Masturbation is not vilified.
Like many of its genre, this book relies on binary anatomy and therefore is not trans inclusive. The author also describes sex as something that is done between people who love each other...which doesn't inherently include all the types of sex that a person might engage in as an adult.
The best part of this book really was the author's note! It promotes using the correct names of body parts. And the author normalized curiosity - stating that parents can help set healthy boundaries for their child to explore their bodies. That acceptance of curiosity carries over well into the book itself. Masturbation is not vilified.
Like many of its genre, this book relies on binary anatomy and therefore is not trans inclusive. The author also describes sex as something that is done between people who love each other...which doesn't inherently include all the types of sex that a person might engage in as an adult.
February 5, 2020
There are things about this book that are really helpful. It's simple and sex positive. I like that it uses correct terminology and I like that it gives a positive view on masturbation, but the whole thing where babies are made/born "when a man and a woman love each other and decide that they want to have a baby" or whatever is pretty simplified. Babies are made a few different ways. Even if the vast majority of babies are products of heterosexual intercourse, nearly half are unplanned. It's just not a very realistic explanation. It's certainly not what I would teach my children about how babies are made.
June 12, 2017
A solid introduction to reproductive organs. While it does stick to male vs. female without addressing the gender spectrum, it does leave the door open for those conversations (unlike another book I previewed that said all girls are born with this and all boys are born with that which made me uncomfortable.) My 5yo asked to read this over and over and it help her father and I gain comfort in talking with her in technical terms. Also, the cover is white-washed but there is more diversity on the inside.
September 17, 2020
I got this book so I could start to feel more comfortable talking about private parts, sexuality, where babies come from, and all those other fun things that my parents just let me learn on my own. My daughter is only 2.5, but she seemed to grasp the most basic level of what I was reading. I live in a small, rural town, and many people have tried to ban this book from our public library, but it is a fantastic resource, and as the book says in the notes at the end, as a parent, I want to be my kid's main resource for that information.
December 30, 2023
I had to read this as a part of an official book challenge at my library. Great book. A very simple introduction to anatomy and good for parents who want to introduce their kids to the concepts inside (anatomy, pregnancy, puberty, etc). It could definitely be updated to be more inclusive, but overall and asset.
As to the four stars, the need for update is what brought the rating down. If a new edition were released I would probably buy this for my library since there's really not that much at this age level that fits this specific niche.
4.5/5 stars
As to the four stars, the need for update is what brought the rating down. If a new edition were released I would probably buy this for my library since there's really not that much at this age level that fits this specific niche.
4.5/5 stars
Read
September 27, 2021This is a picture book that is designed for young children. It is a book that teaches about their bodies, but for those that are too young to learn about sex yet. It is clear about the body parts and is age-appropriate. It talks about reproduction, birth, and the difference between boys and girls. It is a good book for parents to share with their children that are starting to ask questions about their bodies.
August 17, 2021
My LO love it! I bought this book when he was 2, and he didn't like it. Now he's 4. He turns to be a curious cat and he loves it.
I like how the book clearly explains the body of males and females. But it's a little bit confusing at the beginning when it explains what PRIVATE means.
I like how the book clearly explains the body of males and females. But it's a little bit confusing at the beginning when it explains what PRIVATE means.
Read
October 1, 2021An informational book that teaches young children about the human body and things that are going on within in the human body. I personally would not present a lesson to my students with this book just because she of some of the graphics involved are a little explicit for young kids.
May 31, 2022
A great way to allow children to understand and feel comfortable and positive about their bodies.
All parents could used this with their children. It makes the explaining straightforward and will probably do a better job than they would of their own.
All parents could used this with their children. It makes the explaining straightforward and will probably do a better job than they would of their own.
May 16, 2018
Really great book. Began reading this to my girls at 4 and 3 years of age, and it gave them a great understanding of their body parts, and the opposite sex body parts, which is great
May 16, 2019
Great book for introducing young children to healthy body image. CIS gendered approach.
January 20, 2020
I really wanted to like this book but it reads like a textbook. I’m on board with using anatomically correct words but the style of writing could be a little less academic ...
December 28, 2020
A very good start to the conversation of private parts and preschoolers.
June 8, 2021
Makes a lot of assumptions. Kiddo already obsessed.
July 22, 2021
Good informative information about sex organs and the basics of reproduction. Some info about body safety too.
August 13, 2021
Great book for teaching your child about their reproductive organs. Factual, simple, nice illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews