Let's begin with gender. The most important thing to remember about males and females--boys and girls and men and women--is that they are like each other in many ways. In fact, they are more alike than they are different. All people have most of the same body parts, inside and out, And all people have the same kinds of thoughts and feelings. They can share the same hopes and dreams. They want the same kinds of things as they get older.

Written for children who are ready for the complete but basic story about sexual reproduction. With text and illustrations, it explains in simple terms the male and female body; human sexuality; the physiology of conception, pregnancy, and fetal development; and birth. This is a fact-based book, rather than a personalized story about mommy and daddy and how you were made.

This book was developed with extensive input from psychologists, educators, and parents. Includes a glossary and an extensive Note to Parents on how to discuss sexuality with children.

From the Note to Parents:

Sex is about as fundamental to life as food and shelter, work and love. From an early age, we are naturally curious about our bodies, and we can feel physical pleasure. We notice that male and female bodies are different, that people kiss and hug each other, that babies are born. If not for sex, of course, we wouldn't exist at all. But more than a matter of mere biology or survival, sex can be a very enriching part of adult life.

Because sex is so integral to our being, it is important that children receive their first information about it in a positive, age-appropriate way. The way the topic of sex is handled sets the tone for how children will feel about it in the future, and how comfortable they will feel about sharing their questions and concerns as they get older. When parents provide the right information at the right time and in the right way, they help their children develop healthy attitudes towards their bodies and their relationships with others for the rest of their lives.

There are 48 pages in this book. This book was published 2002 by Magination Press .

Marc A. Nemiroff has a PhD in clinical psychology from the Catholic University of America. Dr. Nemiroff has 16 years of experience in the treatment of children at the Woodburn Center for Community Mental Health in Annandale, Virginia, where he is the Coordinator of Youth and Family Programs. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, a fellow of the American Orthopsychiatric Association, and an affiliate member of the Baltimore-Washington Society for Psychoanalysis. Dr. Nemiroff maintains a private practice in Potomac, Maryland. Jane Annunziata, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist with a private practice specializing in children and families in McLean, Virginia. Dr. Annunziata taught and supervised at multiple universities. As a writer, she has contributed parent guidance sections to many children's books on such varied topics as shyness, parental depression, ambivalence, and a new baby in the family. She is the author of of many books for children including Shy Spaghetti and Excited Eggs and Sometimes I'm Scared.