Parents' Guide to

What Makes a Baby

By Mandie Caroll, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Great book about babies for every kid and every family.

Book Cory Silverberg Picture Book 2013
What Makes a Baby Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 3+

Based on 1 parent review

mdoddr
mdoddr Adult
February 23, 2021
age 3+

Breaks it down perfectly

Sometimes it can be hard to put things in a way kids will understand. Human reproduction is so complicated it can be confusing to know what to edit out and what to leave in. This book puts it very simply and lays a great foundation for understanding human biology later in life without going into territory that would leave kids with more questions than answers. My 3 year old and 6 year old wanted to read it over and over.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

WHAT MAKES A BABY begins with a pared-down description of conception: a baby comes from an egg and a sperm joined together and a uterus for the baby to grow in. One spread shows the duration of gestation at various points throughout pregnancy. Labor is described as sometimes long and painful, and vaginal and cesarean births are rendered in exciting and non-scary pictures and text. In the middle and end of the book, the text prompts readers to discuss questions like, "Who helped bring together the egg and sperm that you grew from?" and "Who was waiting for you to be born?" making this an interactive book that allows family history to be incorporated in the reading.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

While this book is valuable for its factual accuracy, what sets it apart is its truly inclusive nature. Though some adult readers may at first find the avoidance of gender in What Makes a Baby odd ("Some bodies have eggs, and some do not"), the strength of this approach is that it allows parents to explain as much or as little about gender and bodies as they want. By dispensing with the standard mother-father model to describe how babies are made, this guide also affirms kids and families with single parents, same gender parents, grandparent caregivers, and so forth. Digital artist Fiona Smyth's heavily lined cartoon illustrations use bold, bright colors in the tradition of Todd Parr. Young kids will love exploring the visually rich and exciting pictures, while also learning about bodies, babies, and their own origin story.

At a time when what makes a family and what makes a baby are as varied as they've ever been, this book simply and powerfully can spark conversations about family history in all its unique beauty.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the way What Makes a Baby shows bodies: Did you learn anything new about bodies? Why do you think the illustrator used rainbow colors for skin colors? Do you see bodies that look like your family members?

  • Talk about the "stories" inside eggs and sperm. What are the stories that mixed together to make you?

  • This book shows that babies are born in different ways. How were you born? Ask your adult to tell you about the day you came into your family. What makes this story special to you?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended book lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate