Rating: 
(49 reviews)
Author: Robie H. Harris
Publisher: Candlewick
Product Description
“Alternately playful and realistic, Emberley’s . . . art reinforces
Harris’s message that bodies come in all sizes, shapes, and colors — and that each variation is ‘perfectly normal.’” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)
When young people have questions about sex, real answers can be hard to find. Providing accurate, unbiased answers to nearly every imaginable question, from conception and puberty to birth control and AIDS, IT’S PERFECTLY NORMAL offers young people the information they need — now more than ever — to make responsible decisions and to stay healthy. Already used as a trusted resource in twenty-five countries around the world (and translated into twenty-one languages), IT’S PERFECTLY NORMAL marks its tenth anniversary with a thoroughly updated edition that includes the latest information on such topics as birth control, hepatitis, HIV, and adoption, among others. This definitive new edition also reflects the recent input of parents, teachers, librarians, clergy, scientists, health professionals, and young readers themselves.
5 Comments
This book is full of information for both boys and girls and while my sons chuckled when I first gave it to them the book is well worn and they have answers to the questions I never wanted them to ask. I dont recommend it for children under the age of 10 or you will wind up with more question than answers. Some of the drawings were a bit much but truthful. Overall I think all “tweens” would benifit from this book. It is straight to the point and answers question they might not want to ask an adult or that an adult might not want to answer.
Kids start to ask questions about sex at a young age. A great book for the littler kids is “Hair in Funny Places.” When they are ready for the next level up, you can’t find a better book than It’s Perfectly Normal.
Some reviews think this book is inappropriate unless your kids are teens. Did you know that studies show 13% of females and 15% of males aged 15-19 in 2002 had already had intercourse for the first time before age 15? An NBC News poll reports 14% of 13 to 14 year-olds are already sexually active. Not my kid, you say? Better safe than sorry, experts reply. Waiting until your kids are teens could be too late.
My child is 8. He’s started asking questions that go beyond how babies are made. This book is an outstanding resource. I don’t just hand it to him, it’s a supervised, interactive conversation and he only reads what he’s drawn to - I never push more information than he wants and he always puts it down when he’s had enough.
When sticky subjects come up, this book is where I go to have a conversation with him…it reduces my embarrassment and helps him understand what I’m saying w/o opportunity for miscommunication.
If you live in the real world, you need this book for your kids. Or you can hide your head in the sand…and wait for a Juno situation in your family.
This is the perfect book for a parent wishing to be completely open & honest about sex with their child. Yes, the cartoonish images are very graphic, but this book is not meant to be just handed over to your child. ‘It’s Perfectly Normal’ talks about puberty, good hygeine, new feelings, masturbation, sexual intercourse, birth control (including abstinence!), peer pressure, STD’s, homosexuality, & sexual abuse. If you would rather have your child find all this out on their own, whether it be from friends or by experimentation, than don’t bother. I, myself, would prefer that my children learn about all this from me. When my 11 yr old asked me last week what a condom was (because she heard about them from a friend), I couldn’t get to a bookstore quick enough for this book. I had no idea where to start without making both of us feel awkward & this book saved the day! Wake up folks! Your child is going to find out all about everything in this book… do you want them to have the right info & be able to sit & talk about it, or do you want them to find out on their own & be mis-informed? I can guarantee you that your relationship with your child will be better off if you’re open & honest. In the end, your child will know they can come to you with anything & get an honest answer.
This book is just what I was looking for to further explain the facts of life to our two daughters.
I ordered this from a book club, so I was unable to thumb through it. Had I been, I would not have boughten it! When I was age 10 (heck 17 for that matter), I didn’t know what it looked like for two people to have sex or what a man’s naked organs look like. I turend out okay. I was a virgin until age 18 and by then I learned enough in high school health class to know about birth control etc.. I agree with what others have said that this is a how-to guide and the pictures are way too graphic for a kid. I also don’t see whats wrong with letting our kids be kids a little longer. Do they really need to see this at such a young age. Also, I am against abortion and homosexuality, which this book does nothing but promote!