Tell Me about Sex, Grandma

by Anastasia Higginbotham (Illustrator)

Overview

Patiently forthcoming with lessons your parents redacted, this necessary conversation stresses consent, sex positivity, and the right to be curious about your body. The dialogue focuses on the dynamics of sex, rather than the mechanics, as Grandma reminds readers that sex is not marriage or reproduction, and doesn’t look the same for everyone. Instead, each person’s sexuality is their very own to discover, explore, and share if they choose.

Anastasia Higginbotham’s tell stories of children navigating trouble with their senses on alert and their souls intact. Her previous books include Divorce Is the Worst and Death Is Stupid.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781558614192
Publisher:	Feminist Press at CUNY, The
Publication date:	04/11/2017
Series:	Ordinary Terrible Things Series
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Anastasia Higginbotham's books about ordinary, terrible things tell stories of children who navigate trouble with their senses on alert and their souls intact. The books take on divorce, death, bullying, illness, confusion about sex, and sexual abuse—for starters. Her essays have appeared in Ms., Bitch, Glamour, The Women's Review of Books, and in the anthologies Listen Up, 33 Things Every Girl Should Know About Women's History, and Yes Means Yes. Higginbotham grew up in Washington, PA, and now writes for NYC nonprofits that combats injustice by empowering those it harms. Her website is www.anastasiahigginbotham.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Remarkable. . . . If I were independently wealthy, I’d buy a small plane, fly across the country, and drop off copies of this book to every elementary-school health and sex educator out there." —Julie Danielson, Kirkus

"A refreshing, positive response to a child’s questions about sex. . . . Above all, the author emphasizes that people have the right to make their own choices about sex, now and always." —School Library Journal

"I love that it's Grandma giving advice. Some Native Americans say the very young and the very old understand each other best, because each is closest to the unknown." —Gloria Steinem, author of My Life on the Road

"Addresses sexuality with transparency—honoring diversity and opening a crucial door to conversation about an often-neglected topic. As a sexologist, I wish all children could read this amazing book!" —Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski, Founder and President of the Academy for Adolescent Health

"Absolutely breathtaking." —Troy Pinkney-Ragsdale, MA; CCLS; Director, Child Life Program, Bank Street College of Education

"Thoughtful and age appropriate." —Eli R. Green, PhD; Founder, Transgender Training Institute

From the Publisher

02/01/2017
Gr 3–5—A refreshing, positive response to a child's questions about sex. The narrator musters enough courage to ask his grandmother about the topic. Grandma shuts her laptop and asks, "Well, whattaya wanna know?" and is very quick to dispel the notion that sex is bad. It isn't, but it is a private, grown-up thing. The narrator pauses and takes a few moments to get ready for more queries. Grandma focuses not on the mechanics of sex but on its dynamics. Her direct and honest approach and the narrator's cautious but curious tone result in a bold discussion of sexuality. Above all, the author emphasizes that people have the right to make their own choices about sex, now and always. Higginbotham's collage illustrations largely center on the interaction between the two characters. VERDICT For the inquisitive, thoughtful child not quite ready to learn about the biological nuances of sex.—Elaine Baran Black, Georgia Public Library Service, Atlanta

School Library Journal

2017-02-01
A small child asks Grandma what sex is and gets a wise response.Higginbotham follows titles on death and divorce with a refreshingly different take on a child's sex question. A speech-bubble conversation, occasionally interrupted by eating and play, accompanies narrative answers, stated simply but directly and stressing the child's right to be curious. This is not a biology lesson or physical description; it's ethical and emotional. "Sex is private." It includes motion and feelings that grow and change as a child grows up. With whom and how "belongs to no one else but you." The child reiterates the lesson: what's most important is the personal choice: "I am the one-and-only, top-boss, in-charge decider about sex in my life for my whole life." Set on kraft paper, the collage illustrations have been assembled from a variety of materials including magazine pictures and photographs. The pair are black: the child has a reddish Afro and Grandma sports beaded hair (and very cool shoes). Images of Grandma's row-house neighborhood and comfortable apartment, decorated with religious images and looking out on trees, tell readers more about their world. Several pictures reinforce the final message that the internet is not a good place to find answers to this question; ask a savvy grown-up instead. With its strong message about sexual assault, this is a necessary addition to sex-education collections. (Picture book. 4-9)

Kirkus Reviews