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the paperResource List: Picture Books on Sexuality for Early Elementary Students
based on my 1997 web site "Teaching Your Kids About Sex,"
http://www.seemore.mi.org/sex-ed/Mommy Laid An Egg! or Where Do Babies Come From? by Babette Cole
Published by Chronicle Books, 1996 - ISBN: 0811813193
Writer and illustrator Babette Cole won the LA Parent Magazine Book Award for this decidedly non-sentimental look at where babies come from. The book begins with the parents telling their kids all the fanciful myths about babies' origins - "You can make them out of gingerbread," "Sometimes you just find them under rocks." Then the children, amused at their parents' lack of knowledge, proceed to explain just where babies do come from, complete with child-like illustrations. A wonderful book, with just enough information for small children.
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle, Arthur Robins (Illustrator)
Published by Little Brown & Co, 1984 - ISBN: 0316042277
I had this book when I was a child, and it hasn't changed a bit. The author explains the "facts of life" in a very matter-of-fact, humorous way, with illustrations that look like anybody's (white) mom and dad. The book addresses the names of body parts, the process of intercourse, pregnancy, and birth. Kids will understand the description of orgasm in terms of a big sneeze, and intercourse is compared to jumping rope ("You just can't do it all day long."). And they'll love the sperm dressed up in tuxedos.
A Kid's First Book About Sex by Joani Blank and Marcia Quackenbush (Illustrator)
Published by Down There Press, 1993 - ISBN: 0940208075
Although nothing in the book is inappropriate, some parents may find this book to be "too much about sex" to feel comfortable giving it to their children. This is the only book I reviewed that mentioned nothing about pregnancy (there is a brief mention of fertilization). Instead, it's all about being familiar with your body (there are several drawing exercises, and a workbook is available to purchase separately), good kinds of touching, masturbation, and in general helping the child to decide for him or herself what "sexy" means. There's also some brief discussion about partnerships (heterosexual or homosexual). The drawings are simple lines, and there's very little clinical language. This is a great book for open-minded, sex-positive families to share.
How Babies Are Made by Andrew C. Andry, Steven Schepp
Published by Little Brown & Co, 1984 - ISBN: 0316042277
Originally published in 1968 by Time-Life Books, this book hasn't changed either - and it needs no revision to remain up-to-date. It actually addresses "the birds and the bees": beginning with flowers, then moving on to chickens, dogs and finally humans, the authors show how reproduction happens in a similar way for all types of living creatures. The brightly colored paper cutout illustrations hold a young child's attention, and keep even the most squeamish parent from being embarrassed.
Resource List: Other Early Elementary Sexuality Education Curricula
from the SIECUS web site:
http://www.siecus.org/pubs/biblio/bibs0010.html
All About Life: Grades K-4 Caring About
Myself, My Family, and My Community
Caren Monastersky, M.S.W., and Ellen Phillips-Angeles,
M.S.
This curriculum emphasizes social
skills and is designed to prepare young people to care about themselves,
their family, and their community. It consists of 20 lessons for grades K
through two and 20 lessons for grades three through four on such subjects
as friendship, disability, feelings, families, sexual abuse prevention,
anger, space, staying healthy, anatomy, babies, and pregnancy.
1995; $35; Seattle-King County Department of Public Health, Health
Education Materials Sales; 400 Yesler Way, 3rd Floor, Seattle,
WA 98104; Phone: 206/296-4902.
Learning About Family Life: Resources for Learning and
Teaching
Barbara Sprung; illustrated by Debra
Wainwright
This curriculum helps children in grades K through three form healthy
attitudes about sexuality. Developed to meet the New Jersey state mandate
for family life education for children in elementary grades, it consists
of three components: The Big Book (an easel book that illustrates
stories), Resources for Learning and Teaching (a manual for the educator,
consisting of 43 lessons), and Families, Friends, and Feelings (a journal
for students). Topics include relationships, human growth and development,
sexuality and reproduction, responsible behavior, and building strong
families.
1992; $100, The Big Book; $25,
Resources for Learning and Teaching; $12.50, five copies of Families,
Friends, and Feelings; Rutgers University Press, 100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue,
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8099; Phone: 800/446-9323; Fax: 732/445-1974.
When I’m Grown: Life Planning Education
The Center for Population
Options
These skills-based curricula—for
grades K through two, grades three and four, and grades five and
six—are designed to introduce the basic knowledge, attitudes, and
skills that children need in order to participate successfully in
adolescence and adult life. These curricula are a collection of
discussions and participatory activities. Topics include:
self-understanding, family, growth and development, friendship, sexuality,
life skills, health promotion, and careers. The K through grade two
curriculum consists of 50 activities, the grades three and four curriculum
consists of 57 activities, and the grades five and six curriculum consists
of 94 activities.
1994 (K through two), 1992 (grades three and four/grades five and six);
$45, individual volumes; $75, two-volume set; $100, three-volume set;
Advocates for Youth, 1025 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20005;
Phone: 202/347-5700; Fax: 202/347-2263; Web site: www.advocatesforyouth.org
SMART Moves
Boys and Girls Clubs Of America
(Abstinence-only)
This program targets young people
six to 15 years old. It includes Smart Kids to help 6 to 9 year olds
develop self awareness, decision making, and interpersonal skills; Start
Smart to help preteens identify and resist peer, social, and media
pressures to use drugs and become sexually involved; Stay Smart to help
teenagers develop social, resistance, assertiveness, problem-solving, and
decision-making skills; and Smart Parents to augment the sessions and
teach parents about adolescent drug use and sexuality. All three curricula
are currently being revised and updated.
Call the Boys and Girls Clubs of
America for pricing: 1230 Peachtree Street, N.W., Atlanta, GA 30309;
Phone: 404/815-5766; Fax: 404/815-5789; Web site: www.bgca.org
Resource List: Organizations Dealing With Sexuality Education
American Association for Health Education
1900 Association Drive
Reston, VA 22091
(703) 476-3437
http://www.aahperd.org/aahe/aahe_main.html
American School Health Association
7264 State Route 43, P.O. Box 708
Kent, OH 44240
(216) 678-1601
CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 6003
Rockville, MD 20849
(800) 458-5231
ETR Associates
P.O. Box 1803
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
(800) 321-4407
National AIDS Hotline
P.O. Box 13827
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
(800) 344-7432
Planned Parenthood Federation of
America
810 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10019
(212) 261-4629