Customer Reviews

Hair in Funny Places

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a book which takes a lighthearted, but nevertheless informative, view on puberty. If you have not chosen to be open with sex information for your children, you had better not read this book (see previous reviews.)If, however, you want to introduce your child to this scary time in their lives in a fun and open way, this IS the book for you. It is not a book for very young children unless you are comfortable with the questions about subjects such as nocturnal emissions. I believe that the objections to this book are cultural and very indicative of North American prudery. It is very interesting to compare these comments with those on Amazon.uk

I'm all for sex education and honest explanations about the onset of puberty, and I think it would be pretty difficult to do this without naked bodies. So, for all those decrying this book's critics with charges of prudery (!)--it just ain't necessarily so.

The problem is Cole's apparent adoption of the (often Western) notion that puberty is something that happens to your body, begun by some sort of intruding foreign when you reach a certain age. Instead, other cultures view this as the very natural realization of potentials that were there all along. Ms. Cole, who is one of my favorite author/illustrators in other contexts, shows the HORMONES as ugly monsters, who create "potions" that invade your body. While this conception may echo a pre-teen's feelings about the mysterious chemicals that cause all those changes, it would be better to present things in a more positive and certainly a more realistic light. Yes, play it for humor and exaggeration, reflect the feelings, but don't offer as the sole explanation an "invasion" physiology that presents a negative, externalized view of puberty.

The book is too childish and oversimplified for pre-adolescents, and too anthropomorphized and frightening for grade schoolers. While some may think the nudity, the "frank" (though brief) talk about nocturnal emissions, menstruation, and sexual attraction is bold and brave, to me it talks down to kids, as if their comprehension and their sensibilities can't go beyond "Where the WIld Things Are" creatures. Perhaps the very, very young will get some laughs, and a good adult presentation would go a long way in making this more acceptable, but I would recommend viewing this book at a library, bookstore, or a friend's house before buying it. Obviously it's a personal decision, but in my view, Babette Cole's authorship did not ensure a great book this time around.

Heaven forbid, this book has actually got naked bodies in it! *How terrible...*. But wait, don't we all have a body like that? And isn't it a responsible thing to do to prepare your children for what is going to happen to their body?
This is a great book! We need to be open with our children - or we'll end up with a teenage pregnancy on our hands. Here is a fun, non-threatening way to introduce the subject of puberty to your children. Read it with them, and YOU are in control of how you talk about it, and just how much you want to tell them. Honestly, the easiest way to deal with it is just to tell them what the 'sticky stuff' is when they ask. Done and over with, they won't ask again, or try to find out from *really* inappropriate sources! ... or else, find out when it's too late!
This book is one great way of bringing up the subject of puberty.

This may be an important topic...but is there a reason why the hormones look like sewer rats? They are unpleasant to look at. There is nothing cute or funny about them. I am going to have nightmares now and I haven't even shown this to my 7 year old yet. Who thinks this is appropriate for a 7 year old? I think the illustrations are horrific!

I love Cole's books and how much fun they are for children and adults. The ones about puberty and sex are even better when the adults read them to the children. They address a lot of areas that might be of concern in a humorous,
nonthreatening way. The idea that a book could dissuade children from asking questions of their parents is moronic. If their relationship is sound, the book will cause more questions which is good. I especially enjoy how upset and hysterical her books make some of the more repressed and uptight readers!

A children's librarian recommended this book for my 7 yr old foster daughter (who was curious about all those subjects we wish they'd wait a few more years to ask about). My foster daughter loved this book. She chose it for her bedtime story for months, we had to keep renewing it until finally the dire day came when someone else put a hold on it and we had to return it to the library. I generally avoid actually buying books, preferring to check them out for free from the library, but this is one that is worth having our own copy of.

I bought this on the recommendation of a mother with sons older than mine. My son was 10/11 at the time and she thought it was an amusing way to pave the way for a more serious discussion. It was too simplistic for him and he pooh-poohed it, but my 6/7 year old daughter was fascinated by it. Now that she's 9 and facing these issues herself, it's helpful for us to use this book as a non-threatening explanation of what's happening with her. I think it's successful because she did have the earlier introduction to it.

Witty and light-hearted, it still is factual and clear. Definitely worth using.

Babette Cole is a great writer for kids and goes straight for the topics they need to know and which their parents freak out over. The reviews before this sound like a bunch of uptight Fundamentalists who better stay cloistered lest they read something really randy. The book is perfectly appropriate, a fun read,
non threatening and far as the person who said it raises more questions than it answers, well isn't that the point of learning?
What a bunch of losers.

If you let your 6 year old read this book you're crazy! This book is appropriate for kids who are beginning to ask questions about sexuality and puberty. I wouldn't 'just read it' before my kids were curious. It has funny pictures, and addresses puberty from both the male and female sides. It's not a medical book, it's a way to begin to discuss the topic and assess how much your kids know and how much they need to know and when.

Hair in Funny Places tells the story of puberty. Typical of most young children, a little girl asks her teddy bear when she will become a 'grown-up.' The teddy bear tells her what happens when Mr. and Mrs. Hormone, tiny creatures who live inside everyone, mix the potions that turn kids into 'grown ups.' By using the girl's parents as an example, the teddy bear goes through the various physical and emotional changes that each respectively went through to become adults. The teddy bear then tells the girl about the "wildest potion of all" - love potion, which brought her parents together. The story ends when the girl assures her teddy bear that even when she is grown up she will always love him. While Cole's objectives may have been to present puberty playfully and comfortably with her fun pictures and light-hearted tone, her story is a gross misrepresentation of the truth about puberty and could give children many wrong impressions. First of all, the girl learns about puberty from her teddy bear - not her parents, who should be the ones to teach her. Because she depends on a stuffed animal to tell her the facts of life, this could discourage children from feeling comfortable confiding in their parents. Cole's portrayal of Mr. and Mrs. Hormone adds to the unnecessary mystery and intrigue of puberty. Mr. and Mrs. Hormone are hairy, pimply characters with horns - kind of a combination between a porcupine, bug, and mad scientist. It seems that these mischievous, insidious looking creatures have nothing better to do than plot to thwart a child's life with potion. Mr. and Mrs. Hormone could cause further confusion for children when they create their crazy love potion. The picture at this point shows the girl's mother and father running wildly at each other, as if being driven by an uncontrollable force. This idea cheapens the idea of love by insinuating that it is simply a byproduct of our hormones. Finally, the story's ending further separates children from discussing these issues with their parents when the young girl exclaims, "On no, Ted, you are so wise, I will always love you." There is so much potential to encourage children/parent relationships at this point, but instead Cole chooses to end the story in the world of make believe where wise stuffed animals take the place of loving parents.