How God Made Your Body, Jim Burns

How God Made Your Body, Jim Burns
This book does an excellent job of describing in easy terminology the body and what makes boys and girls different and the same. It starts off with the statement that “God made boys and girls”. I think the photographs are wonderfully captivating. The first few pages deal with the similarities of boys and girls. Such as pointing out both have eyes and hair and so on. It then goes into the differences. Although I agree with being open and honest with my children (2 boys and 2 girls) about their bodies I found parts of this book to be a little uncomfortable. I am not sure that the ages of 3 to 5 is the time I want to discuss how “a mommy and daddy come together in a special way called making love”. Nor do I feel comfortable discussing with my toddler the sperm and egg and resulting embryo. I have no problem with telling my children the anatomically correct names of their body parts, though we prefer to call them our “private no touch zone”. My children do know these parts are especially created for marriage and that no one else should touch them there. I am just not comfortable going into great detail at this age as to the function of these parts in that “coming together in a special way”. I do understand the authors reason for writing this book as children are being exposed to these ideas and images at a very early age because of our over-sexualized world. However, I do not feel that I am ready to be so bold and open with all things at this early age. If you are looking for a book that is very matter of fact on all issues of sexuality this is the book for you. If you are not quite ready to show diagrams of the body and have a description of their function this is not the book for you.
I do think that this book is one of the best for this subject as the author approaches it with a biblical view, giving God the credit of His creation. As my children begin to ask questions it will be the one I use with them. I have viewed other books on this subject and have not found them as well thought out. I t is obvious that this author has a heart to educate children in such a way that sex, and their body are not shameful, but to be guarded until marriage and kept pure.
Thank you Bethany House and Baker Publishing for providing this book for review.