How You Were Born [Paperback]

Joanna Cole (Author), Margaret Miller (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 24, 1994 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: K and up

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Revised in 1993, this photo-essay describes a baby's conception, fetal development and eventual birth. PW called Miller's photographs "models of sensitivity and frankness." Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-- Appealing new packaging of an old favorite. As in the earlier edition (Morrow, 1984), Cole relates the process of conception and birth in a personalized manner. The text reads as though the author were talking to a child, skillfully integrating the illustrations with the narration. Revisions are slight: "uterus" replaces "womb" throughout; sentences have been rephrased; paragraphs have been restructured. Parents are told in the introduction that "Children born by cesarean need to know that theirs is simply another way to be born, and that the important parts of birth . . . are the same." All further explanation of the procedure has been omitted. Also left out are the diagrams of the male and female reproductive systems and the comment that "during labor, your mother had to work hard." In all, the changes facilitate the flow of the story and eliminated potentially disturbing topics. Vibrant full-color photos have replaced the original black and white; they depict a variety of families. Diagrams have been watercolored and refined, but with one exception, duplicate those in the original. While several other titles on the topic are currently available, Cole's book continues to set the standard. --Denise L. Moll, Lone Pine Elementary School, West Bloomfield, MI
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Revised edition (May 24, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068812061X
• ISBN-13: 978-0688120610
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #190,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( C ) > Cole, Joanna
  • #47 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Issues > New Sibling

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relax and have fun with the tough questions!, April 27, 2000

By 

Merrie (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How You Were Born (Hardcover)

I first bought this book when I was pregnant for my second child. My daughter was about three at the time and I wanted to make sure she had an understanding of the "miracle of childbirth". This book took away the pressure! Great photographs and a clear and factual explanation of how babies are conceived and develop. I loaned this book out to one of my friends and unfortuantley never got it back. My daughter is now 9 and will still mention how she loved that book and wishes she had it back! This is a must for anyone with a new baby on the way or to handle that tough question of, "Where do babies come from?"!

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, factual and reverent... what more could a mommy want?, May 13, 2002

By 

Jennifer M. Macleod "yiddishe supermama" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How You Were Born (Paperback)

This book is a fun, low-key, high-quality way to introduce kids to the miracles of development and birth. Mine (6 and 7) were less interested in the pictures of actual babies as they were in those of the developing fetuses, and their long looks over each page allowed plenty of time for my narration -- about how much each of them was wanted, about how amazing it is that a real baby can be so tiny, and so on.

My daughter seemed a little uncomfortable with one of the pictures, which depicts a woman "giving birth" -- you do see the side of her hip exposed, in a fairly realistic position, but there's not much more skin visible here than you might see on a beach. I think overall, the pluses here -- especially allowing kids to see the developing fetus as an actual baby -- outweigh any possible drawbacks (the very slight nudity).

As "facts of life" books go, this one is full of fascinating facts, doesn't dodge any tricky issues, and can help instill a much-needed sense of reverence around the whole process.

NOTE: There is nothing in this book about how babies get made in the first place. If that's what you're looking for -- and in my case, it was, in part -- you will need other books to cover THAT information.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Beginning for the That Difficult Talk, August 17, 2002

By 

Diana-lynn Roston (Los angeles,CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How You Were Born (Paperback)

Every parent dreads that moment. You know the one I mean- that moment when your child begins to ask about S-E-X. This book is a wonderful aid to help you through it.

Most experts suggest only giving as much information as a child is ready for, and answering the questions as they come up. This book is wonderful for the beginning stages of this process when your child wants to know where babies come from, but is neither ready for nor interested in the details of conception. This book has beautiful pictures of babies in utero in various stages of development and gently discusses the development of the fetus, the birth of the baby (in a non-graphic but honest way), and the excitement of welcoming a new life into the world.

I bought this for my eight year old, but it is gentle and non-graphic enough that my 3 year old loves it, as well. In fact, I wish I'd had this book when I was pregnant with my younger child. This would be a wonderful book for expectant mothers to share with their older children as they prepare for a new sibling.

There are other books out there that will answer more advanced questions in a more graphic way. This book is not going to answer everything, but it is the perfect book to use for beginning the journey of educating your children about reproduction, and it is written in such a way that parents can easily discuss their own beliefs with their children.