Books are considered the main competitor to the Let’s Talk app. There are numerous books on the market which give children an understanding of Puberty and Sex education. I want to review a number of them and speak about how they managed to stand out at being some the best. Analysing these books should give us an insight into how to tackle these topics in our app and what the professionals are doing to engage children into learning about Sex education.

Many parents use books as a way of introducing their child to sex as it is a helpful way to start the conversation, that may be an awkward topic for some. Using a book which provides the words/script/context is a great place to start as it eases off the pressure to have to know everything as a parent. They also provide some great age-appropriate content or words to use. And It is known that there are some amazing benefits to reading aloud with your child. (Hakanson, 2019)

The first book I want to look at is “Sex is a Funny Word”  by Cory Silverberg. This book is described as a comic book for kids that includes children and families of all makeups, orientations, and gender identities, Sex Is a Funny Word is an essential resource about bodies, gender, and sexuality for children ages 8 to 10 as well as their parents and caregivers. The book features four relatable kids who take the reader through all the topics covered in the book with humor and a little bit of sass. The book begins with an introduction of each of the characters with some quirky facts about them such as their favourite food, their likes and dislikes, The diversity of the characters in the book is something that sets this particular book apart from the others. This is an aspect Let’s Talk will focus heavily on also.

The comic is thought to be the new and reimagined “sex talk” for the twenty first century. The book is a great opportunity for adults to convey their values and beliefs to their children while providing information about boundaries, safety, and joy at the same  time (Silverberg, C. and Smyth, F, 2016). While doing my research of this book and what people liked about it, I found that a key factor to the success of “sex is a funny word” is the balance of information. Puberty and Sex is a heavy topic with heaps of information.

It can be a lot for even adults to wrap their head around. However, Silverberg achieves to provide the right amount of information without overloading a large amount of technical and complicated biology. With regards to the illustration, the illustrations of genitalia are cartoony, but extremely thorough enough to show the diversity of what our parts look like and what they can do without shame or judgment.

Each page of the comic is so enticing and engaging and as a child, these types of illustrations are usually fun to look at. There are elements of interaction with the reader too, such as asking questions at the end of each chapter which encourages the reader to answer or talk to a person they trust about their answers. This is a wonderful way to keep the child interested as they are reading.

 

Another book which has had great success is a book by Pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson.

The book entitled “Guy Stuff – the body book for boys” tells boys about the physical and emotional challenges of puberty and adolescence. (Natterson, 2017) Natterson has written previous books on what Girls experience during puberty but has decided to create a book that boys can call their own as she believes there is a lack of information for boys out there in comparison to girls. She says  “Boys have very little information in the print world. Our social conversation about puberty has been largely directed at girls,” Natterson said in an interview. “We are really good at talking to girls about puberty and body changes and social changes and emotional changes, but we are really bad as a society [at] talking to boys about it.” (Italie, 2017)

 

The aim for these books is to open up conversations with children and an adult they trust before puberty.

The correct information is easily accessible and we must use that in a safe way for children to feel comfortable and confident about the topic. This is also the aim for Let’s Talk but in a digital format, which is a new and fun way for children to learn. 

The book features quirky, savvy illustrations that include the facts for Boys during Puberty, from hair care to healthy eating, bad breath to shaving, acne to voice changes, and everything in between. The information is not overwhelming to a child’s point of view and is condensed into clear manner with language that is quite “tongue and cheek”.

As well as tackling all of the physical changes that are happening, the book also deals with the many emotions boys experience, with a chapter on moods and how to manage them once boys hit puberty. Moodiness is broken down into two general categories — quiet and withdrawn, or angry, impulsive or aggressive — However, in the book it is important and made clear that not all guys may experience puberty in that way and that all boys are different. This is a major factor in writing content for Puberty, I have learned. You never want to make the child reading, feel alone or insecure about the way the are. Getting the message across that no 2 people are the same is the goal when teaching young children about sex education. 

The Care and Keeping of You is another series of books by the same publisher as Guy Stuff – the body book for boys. These books however are directed towards girls and are split in to 2 volumes – one for younger girls and one for older girls.

                             

Author Valorie Lee Schaefer walks girls through the basics of puberty, including how girls’ bodies change, how to choose a bra, and what menstruation is and how to manage it. It also discusses basic self-care from good sleep habits to exercise and nutrition, and discusses issues surrounding body image. Illustrations depict breast development and how to use sanitary pads.(Schaefer, Natterson and Masse, 2012)

Schaefer wrote the text in a deliberate, reassuring tone, one she called the “trusted, cool aunt.” “It wasn’t your mom or dad’s older sister,” Schaefer says. “It was probably their younger sister, someone with a few years under her belt, but also someone who wasn’t so out of touch with her adolescence that she couldn’t remember what a confusing time that was.” (Pohle, 2019)

 The tone in which the information is delivered to the child is such an important factor in ensuring the attention of the child is present and the text isn’t boring or too complicated for them to understand.  Many books on this topic can have a “clinical” approach which is good in regards to the factual side on things, but not so much for the tone and how it is delivered. The book is described as a good balance between chatty and serious in an approachable way.

After thoroughly researching the books available for parents to help teach their children about Puberty and Sex, It has given me a beneficial insight to how illustrators and authors use the information and artwork in a clever and engaging way. This is something the Let’s Talk app will focus on to achieve the best approach to talking about the many stages involved in growing up. 

 

 

References –

• Hakanson, A. (2019). Which books are the best ones to help explain sex to kids?. [online] Sex Ed Rescue. Available at: https://sexedrescue.com/books-on-sex-education/ [Accessed 3 Mar. 2019].
• Italie, L. (2017). Book gives boys the basics on growing up. [online] Times Colonist. Available at: https://www.timescolonist.com/life/book-gives-boys-the-basics-on-growing-up-1.21755038 [Accessed 5 Mar. 2019].
• Natterson, C. (2017). Guy Stuff – The Body Book for Guys. American Girl Publishing.
• Schaefer, V., Natterson, C. and Masse, J. (2012). The care and keeping of you : younger girls. Middleton, WI: American Girl Publishing.
• Silverberg, C. and Smyth, F. (2016). Sex is a funny word. Toronto: CNIB.
• Pohle, A. (2018). The Puberty Book Embraced by Preteens, Parents, and Sex Educators Alike. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/08/the-puberty-book-embraced-by-preteens-and-sex-educators/569044/ [Accessed 6 Mar. 2019].