When You Were Inside Mommy: A Joyful Introduction to Pregnancy, Birth, and Life for Children

by Joanna Cole, Joanna Cole

Isn't it amazing that you were once inside Mommy? With clear inviting text and lively illustrations, Joanna Cole and Maxie Chambliss introduce young children to the concepts of pregnancy and childbirth--from the time they begin as one tiny cell to the joyful moment when their parents welcome them into the world.

Genres: Childrens, Science, Parenting

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2001

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

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently pregnant with baby #2. My first child is almost 2. He understands a lot, but many books that talk about reproduction and babies are too complex for him. After spending ages looking for a medically accurate, but still age appropriate, book about where babies come from, this book by Joanna Cole saved the day. I paired it with Sheila Kitzinger's Being Born, which was a little too complex in terms of text but, importantly, had photos of actual babies growing. Between the two, my little guy seemed to have as thorough an understanding of where babies come from as I'd expect (i.e "seed" from Daddy and "egg" from Mommy which are "planted" inside Mommy's uterus, or womb) at his age.

Only complaints: illustrations are VERY dated. I wish they'd make an updated edition. And, weirdly, the baby is described as coming from Mommy's "special opening" during labor, which seemed like an odd choice of phrase. But overall, a great start to talking about bodies and babies, and helped explain why Mommy's tummy is getting so big ("baby is growing!").

[Melissa Namba · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice, concise explanation for kids about where they came from. There is nothing explicit, but it is a good account of where babies come from and how they grow. I know my nieces will enjoy this. The guide at the end is helpful. I like the reminder that this is about the kid and making it fun and relatable is crucial.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book to go along with the big brother books and baby's on the way books that we've been reading. It let's the big brother's know that they are just as special as the new baby and that they were loved in the same way.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

both girls were infatuated with this book, which explains pregnancy. vivian actually made the purchase of book as a goal for her chart.

[Terrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this author, she has some great books about explaining concepts to little kids, like a new baby coming or potty training.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very straight forward, yet simple explanation for explaining pregnancy to older children. I found it helpful for those first questions.