What does it feel like to be in love? What’s a hormone? How do voices break? Is getting your period annoying? Is it embarrassing to have sex? Can grandmothers have children?
If you’ve wondered how much sex education children need and what they want to know, the answer is simple: ask them. Tell Me is an excellent collection of questions about the human body, love and sexuality. Each of the questions was asked anonymously by eight year old children in a classroom setting.
German sex educator and author, Katharina provides honest, simple answers with amusing cartoons.
“You only get one body in this life, and you and your feelings are right inside it. That’s why its important to get know your body and how it works. You’ll see what a remarkable thing it is,” writes Katharina.
What I like about this book is that the questions are in no particular order so you can read the book any which way or dip in and out. You can also look up specific questions in the back of the book. Some of the questions are expected, but many are not. Tell Me is amusing and cute as it is eye opening.
My favourite question, ‘how do you know when you’re a grown up?’. Katharina’s answer is simple and eloquent.
Tell Me is a perfect conversation starter for parents and children, to read together or on their own. For many people, conversations about puberty and sexuality can be embarrassing. Katharina demonstrates that giving children the information they want in an age appropriate, non-judgmental way doesn’t need to be awkward.
Reviewer: Andrea Molloy Gecko Press, RRP $29.99