How babies and families are made: (there is more than one way)

HQ53. S3 1988

How babies and families are made : (there is more than one way!)
by Patricia Schaffer
illustrated by Suzanne Corbett
Language: English 
Berkeley, Calif. : Tabor Sarah Books, ©1988.
52 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
ISBN: 0935079173; 9780935079173
$7.95
Recommended for ages: 8-12
Review: This is the first sex book ever published for children that mentions artificial insemination. This book includes a description of how babies are conceived naturally as well as how they are made in the cases of IVF, donor sperm, and adoption. The book also discusses pregnancy, miscarriage, fetal death, labor, types of delivery, prematurity, and disabilities. The author also discusses kinship in families and terminology for birth parents, step-parents, half-siblings, adopted parents, and biological parents. Language is straightforward and there are drawings in black and white with nudity, body parts, and a couple hugging in bed to represent sexual intercourse. Book could be updated to include donor egg, embryo, and surrogacy.
Annotation: The author writes in her preface that she “tried to make all children feel included in the pages of this book,” (including disabled and adopted children), earlier stating that to teach children that all children are conceived via sexual intercourse is “simply untrue.” The book begins with the story of Rachel and Michael, two friends who are alike in many ways, different in others, but both want to know how babies are born. With anatomical drawings labeling all reproductive parts of a woman’s and a man’s body, the book begins by describing what each part does, beginning with how the parts fit together during sexual intercourse. This is how Michael’s parents made him. The book then goes on to explain that not all babies are conceived in this way. Rachel, for example, was conceived via artificial insemination because her father could not make sperm. This book, published in 1988, explains that artificial insemination can also be used by women who do not want to make a baby with a man, thus making this a groundbreaking book being that it was the first non-fiction book published in the United States that hints at single mothers and lesbians who can also resort to artificial insemination in order to have children. Although not necessarily outdated, with so many books on assisted conception published since this one (and this one only covers one method), there are now many more to choose from. As its title states, this is also a book about how families are made and includes the subjects of divorce, death, and remarriage thereby also introducing children to the concepts of step-siblings and half-siblings. Because this is a short book, all these subjects can’t possibly be treated in more than a cursory way, therefore other books on human reproduction, blended families, and disability are recommended. Realistic black and white illustrations depict nudity and lovemaking. Although recommended for children ages 8-12, given the amount of text on each page, children may already be familiar with some of the concepts introduced in this book by the time they get to this one. 
Available: http://leeanne.com/taborsarah/
Available: http://www.abebooks.com/book-search/isbn/9780935079173/

How I began : the story of donor insemination

649.65
How I began : the story of donor insemination 
by New South Wales Infertility Social Workers Group
edited by Julia Paul
illus. by Merri Spencer
Language: English 
Carlton, Vic. : Fertility Society of Australia, ©1988. 
[27] p. : ill. ; 21 x 26 cm.
ISBN: 0947285008; 9780947285005
My annotation: Published in 1988, this was the very first book ever written about donor insemination for children. It is clearly written and aims to be as comprehensive as possible beginning with the question, “Have you ever wondered where you came from?” and then stating, “This book answers just that question.” It is written in the voice of parents talking directly to their child as the ‘you’ pronoun is used throughout. It introduces children to the terms, “penis,” “vagina,” “testicles,” “uterus,” “sperm,” “egg,” “sexual intercourse,” “labour,” and all the realities of “lovemaking.” After explaining the basic details, it also talks about how Mummy and Daddy “had sexual intercourse lots of times” and “enjoyed it very much,” but that no baby grew inside Mummy. They visit a doctor who “did lots of tests to see why no baby was growing,” and the doctor concludes that Daddy’s sperm “wouldn’t make a baby.” There is another way, the doctor tells them, and here the book introduces children to the term and the concept of “donor insemination.” This book would seem to take a purely child-conception approach since the majority of the book discusses the special circumstances involved in the child’s conception but for the last sentence, which states, “So … now you know how you began and how you became part of your family!” It therefore takes a family-building approach as well. It employs the “nuts and bolts” script. Sepia-toned illustrations depict full-frontal nudity, a couple making love, and a baby being born. Recommended for children ages 5-8.

No longer available: Out of print.