I've come across plenty of weird old books trying to explain sexuality to kids, but this is probably the most happy and colorful. It was published by the Board of Parish Education of the Lutheran Church and intended for boys and girls in Grades 4-6.
I don't really know what's going on with the the whole horseback riding thing. I'm sure it's supposed to be an analogy for. . .well, you know. . .
The significance of the leering inflatable beach horse sort of escapes me too. Man, that is one creepy inter-tube horse:
I love the midcentury sensibility of the illustrations when the book really gets down to business:
That has to be the best font for the word testicles ever. It deserves to be appreciated bigger:
The Lutherans who wrote the book chose not to take a side in the breastfeeding debate:
Jeez, Don's father. Everything I learned about sex as a teenager I learned in the school washroom. It's got to be better than the Internet.
Man, what was going on in those 1960s school washrooms?
The only thing keeping me from using this book with my own kids is the dated gender stereotypes.
But with a little photoshopping, I think I can fix it:
Now that's more like it.
This blog seeks to share excerpted content from out-of-print children's books. If you are the copyright holder of any of these books and are unhappy with this usage, please contact me immediately and I will rectify it.
