Product Description

Sometime between the ages of nine and fifteen, children's bodies begin to change and grow into adult bodies - and with these changes comes a natural curiosity about sex and sexuality. This book gives the facts - biological and psychological - of sex: from conception and puberty to birth control and AIDS, including sections on the body, families and babies, and sexual health. The book's approach is simple, with cartoon illustrations and the speech-bubble comments of two characters, a curious bird and a squeamish bee, which reflect the diverse feelings children have about sex.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #62513 in Books
• Published on: 1995-11-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

From the Publisher
Reviews!
"At last! A book that tells pre-teens and teenagers what they need to know about sex. LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX is informative and interesting; reassuring and responsible; warm and charming. I wish every child (and parent) could have a copy." - PENELOPE LEACH, CHILD AND FAMILY EXPERT "Illustrated throughout with witty, but always accurate cartoons, it provides thorough, frank up-to-date and reassuring information on all aspects of growing up, puberty, sex and sexual health. Facts and feelings are covered in equal measure." - SEX EDUCATION MATTERS "An excellent read." - SHOUT MAGAZINE "The best book I have read on this subject." - NANETTE NEWMAN, THE SUNDAY EXPRESS

Customer Reviews

If you have children you should have this book
Our family think this is a brilliant book. It would be appropriate for children from ages (8), 9, 10 or 11 depending on maturity etc to about 14 years. The book covers "growing up, changing bodies, sex and sexual health" in a factual and accurate but often light-hearted way, recognising that children can be very embarassed about these topics, but do need to know the full facts and the context. It has been written for them as individuals and is aimed at their level of interest and understanding.

The illustrations are entertaining - accurate but cartoonish and the "bird" and "bee" comments at the margins are brilliant. The bee finds everything excruciatingly embarrassing and says so, but the bird loves it all and comments accordingly. Children can relate well to both characters and their thoughts at different stages of their development. They also begin to realise that the bee may be silly in being so prudish about natural matters and may adapt their own comments and behaviour in the light of this. We have used these characters to instigate family or individual discussions about these important topics - for example, prompting a discussion by saying "I can see you feel like the bee and find this very uncomfortable to talk about - would you like to look at the book again?" or "the bird loved this bit" and discussing more openly.

The approach taken in the book means that children go on to read chapters eg sexual health which they might not otherwise have read because they like the style of writing and the "aside" comments from the bird and bee. My children (two girls and a boy) read bits of the book avidly from the ages of about 9 or 10. They continue to dip into it as the months go by and as they realise the possible relevance of chapters which were a mystery to them previously. I still find it tucked in one or other of their bedside tables from time to time and would expect to do so for some years to come.

excellent book that explains things easily for children
I bought this book for my ten year old daughter and am very glad I did. I even learnt a few things from it myself. It is in easy to understand terms and answers all the questions that a child is likely to ask. I am confident that my daughter will fully understand all aspects of 'growing up' thanks to this wonderful book. She can sit and read it on her own and ask any questions she needs to without me trying to blindly explain things to her. The cartoon style pictures also make it fun for her to read and easier to follow what all the words actually mean. I wish there had been something this good on the market when I was growing up, it would have made my life a whole lot easier, my mum's too I think!

fantastic
my son, aged 9, has been asking for several weeks if we could have 'the chat' but i had no idea where to start or where to stop. This book gives a clear yet simple overview of the whole subject whilst making it sound so normal and part of everyday life- which of course to an adult it is- but to a child it may seem totally unreal. As a child I was thrown a leaflet and left to it but this gives openings for discussion and answers questions that a child may find awkward. Healthy sex is such a large part of life now not just the pregnancy fear that I grew up with. This is talked about without putting an unrealistic fear into the child. WELL DONE!!! and thank you...