So that's where I came from

So that's where I came from 
by Gina Dawson 
illus. by Beth Norling 
Language: English 
Fitzroy, Vic. : Black Dog Books, 2010. 
1 v. : col. ill. ; 23 x 25 cm.
ISBN: 9781742031019; 1742031013 
Annotation: This comprehensive book from Australia about reproduction introduces children to the proper terminology for all terms related to human reproduction. It introduces children to the words, "penis," "vagina," "vulva," "uterus," "womb," "scrotum," "testicles," "sperm," "egg," "vas deferens," "urethra," "sexual intercourse," "ovaries," "fallopian tubes," "fertilisation," "conception," "pregnant," "amniotic fluid," "umbilical cord," "midwife," "breech," "Cesarean Section," "umbilical cord," "breasts," and "pubic hair." One way in which this book aims for comprehensiveness is its brief mention of infertility although surprisingly, given the book's large vocabulary for all things related to reproduction, does not introduce the word "infertility" for the concept of a couple being unable to conceive. "Sometimes a couple wants a baby very much, and although they have sex often, the egg and sperm don't meet." But unfortunately it stops there when it continues, "There are many reasons for this, but we don't have space to explain them all here." However, the book does go on to introduce the concepts of IVF and the use of donor gametes, as well as the need for a couple to visit a doctor in order to receive help in conceiving a baby. But on the next page the author warns children that they should not share this information about how they were conceived with other people: "The way you began and became a part of your family is personal, which means that you don't talk about it with people until you've discussed it with your mum or dad." For children conceived through ART, this could imply that there is something secretive or shameful about how they were conceived. Although the book aims to be comprehensive, and it is quite thorough in anticipating any and every question a child might have, it does not account for those who are gender nonconforming or transgendered in the way that Cory Silverberg's What Makes a Baby aims to do. This is clearly a book for primarily heterosexual parents to use with their children even though the book mentions different types of families which might include two mums or two dads. Cartoon drawings depict mixed race families and include nudity and visual and verbal depictions of lovemaking. Recommended for children ages 5-8.
Available: http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/book/so-thats-where-i-came-from/9341799/ 
Online article about the book: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/childrens-sex-education-book-updated-after-more-than-30-years/story-e6frfkp9-1225862260255

Where did I really come from? : sexual intercourse, DI, IVF, GIFT, pregnancy, birth, surrogacy, adoption

612.6
Where did I really come from? : sexual intercourse, DI, IVF, GIFT, pregnancy, birth, surrogacy, adoption 
by Narelle Wickham 
illus. by Ingrid Urh 
Language: English 
Dulwich Hill, N.S.W. : Learn To Include 2008. 
2nd Revised edition
31 p. : ill ; 19 x 24 cm.
ISBN: 0646496158; 9780646496153
$19.95
Recommended age: 5-8
Review: First published in 1992 and now in its second edition, this is the first sex instruction book for children that mentions same-sex parenting as well as the various assisted reproductive technologies. Although the book includes all aspects of alternative family building, none is explained in any detail. Young children will find the language difficult and older children may need more details. Includes nudity.
Annotation: This book begins by telling children that the most important thing they need to know about where babies come from is not how they began “but that certain people wanted you to be born.” It begins with a chapter on sexual intercourse, describing the mechanics of how sperm and egg meet, but right from the get go instructs children that sexual intercourse is not the only way to make a baby, thereby suggesting that this book is really meant for children who were conceived in ways other than intercourse. Given that most of the chapters are devoted to methods of assisted conception: DI, IVF, surrogacy, and adoption, this seems to be the case. For example, in a bold shift from other books on human reproduction, the chapter on donor insemination states outright that sometimes “a woman really wants to have a baby but she doesn’t want to have intercourse with a man,” or that she wants to raise a baby by herself, or with another woman. In these cases a woman must visit a doctor and acquire sperm, herewith introducing children to the terms “donor” and “donor insemination” with a description of how it is done, building on the information introduced in the chapter on sexual intercourse about how sperm and egg meet. Egg donation is given a single sentence in the book and gay fathers are only visually depicted in the chapter on surrogacy. They are otherwise not mentioned in the way that “two mums” are mentioned in the chapter on DI. Although the intention of this book seems to be comprehensiveness, the book could be confusing if not read with a parent who could help explain the more difficult concepts around assisted conception introduced here. Cartoon, sepia-toned illustrations include nudity and visual and verbal depictions of lovemaking. Recommended for children ages 5-8. 
Available: http://www.abbeys.com.au/book/where-did-i-really-come-from.do