Customer Reviews

What's The Big Secret? Talking About Sex With Girls And Boys (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Last summer I read this book to my then just turned 7 & just turned 4 yr old and the youngest was completely clueless as to what I trying to get across. The oldest understood somewhat, wasn't all that interested, but still managed to let a few giggles out. She took the book and read it herself. When I later asked her if she had any questions for me, she had none but commented that it was "embarrassing". The book was put away to age a little longer....
Earlier this week I re-read the book to both of them, now almost 5 and almost 8. The 5 yr old is still clueless and bored with all of it. The 8 yr old seemed a bit more interested and less embarrassed. She took the book and again read it to herself and asked a few "why" questions but nothing I couldn't handle.
In my opinion, this book is great for 7 - 10 yr olds (1st - 3rd grade), not the pre-school - grade 3 that it is catagorized. Enough for 7 - 10 yr olds to comprehend and enough for this age to know. Not overwhelming in technical terms or detail nor is it written in baby terms. I agree with a previous reviewer. When the teen years arrive, more information, terms & detail will need to be divulged but for this pre-teen age. For pre-teens, this book is perfect.

I read this with my 8 year old daughter. She loved the book, and understood the information without being embarrassed. I really liked how it explained the differences between good, loving touches; and bad, uncomfortable touches. I would say this book is best for children over the age of 6. It may be too advanced for the younger ones.

I bought this book for my 6 year old step-daughter. She's started asking questions about what a boy looks like and why I won't be having a baby with her daddy (she thinks it just happens because you get married). The pictures in this book are just right for a 6 year old, and there isn't too much information. It certainly settled her "need to know" crisis, and The "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" incident on the playground that I had a nightmare about.

My daughter has been asking more and more questions about the differences between boys and girls and about how babies grow (due in part to the number of family members who are currently pregnant). We answer her very frankly, and she seems satisfied with our responses; however, we thought it might be a good idea to read her a book that could perhaps show her some illustrations and present some information we might not have addressed fully, to clarify a little more.

This book is a pretty good attempt. While, I would have liked to have seen some more illustrations (sperm fertizing egg, the various stages of baby), and more detailed information on such issues as how twins are made, birth defects, c-sections, and more info about what occurs during a period; overall, I think this book is the best out there for her age. "Amazing You: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts" by Gail Saltz seemed too vague, and geared to younger children, and "It's So Amazing! A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families" by Robie H. Harris seemed a bit too in depth for my daughter.

I think "What's the Big Secret" works well for the preschool group. The illustrations are whimiscal, and it's written in a way that appeals to young kids. My daughter really seemed to like it.

I read this to my seven year old son who enjoyed the pictures and the humor and the facts. It was a comfortable book to read and it sparked a lot of questions and conversation. I would definitely recommend it to the 5-7 year old age group.

This is a wonderfully illustrated, easy to understand, easy to read, unintimidating book. It's intended audience is Pre-School thru Grade 3 which I feel is critical information for anyone looking into buying this book. It is a wonderful book for those parents who want their children to learn at an early age the correct names of body parts and the basics of where babies come from. This book has been on my children's (ages 4-9) book shelf since the oldest one was two years old! It sits on the shelf right along-side all the other 100's of bedtime books. They go back to it time and time again either to read to themselves or to be read to. From the start they learned the accurate words for body parts, understand the basics, and take in more and more information/digest the information as they grow older. As the oldest (9) has questions she openly asks them. I either go over it again from the book or we talk openly. Parents who wait to discuss the topics until age 9 will find this book to be an untimidating first book -- very good. As the children grow older (puberty thru teens) I intend to add more detailed (less cartoonish illustrations) books to our discussions.

I bought this book for my eight year old son who was already posing questions like, "What is sex ?". I found the book informative enough to answer his innocent questions, yet delicate enough to address when talking about sex is appropriate and who to talk to if you have more questions than the book answers. We gave our son a week to look over the book and read it several times. At the end of the week, both his father and I sat down with him to answer any questions he might still have. To our delight, the only question remaining in his mind was how to pronounce the word...

I felt this book was excellent for kids not yet the age of puberty. It gives enough information, without overwhelming them. I like the fact that it describes "the facts of life" without being to explicit for this tender age. You want to inform your curious kids in a humorous and not too technical way, and this book fits the bill. When puberty hits, then another book would be better suited to explain their bodily changes and provide more detail at the age they can best handle it.

I read this book to 2 10-year olds who were pretty naive. They "got it", without being too embarrassed. It handles all topics appropriately, and gives both reader and listener a few moments for laughter to break up the big news.

The book is quite cute, and very easy for my 7 year old to grasp. Make sure you preview the book first before you share it with your child. This way you can discuss it's content in your terms rather than reading word for word. If there is any part that your child is not ready for you can sort of skip over it and move on to the next part (if your child is very young).