Where Do Babies Come From?

The Baby Tree
Written & Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Age Level: 4-8 Years
Published May 1, 2014

Oh $h!t. Don’t worry, this book’s got you covered.

Fortunately, I’m pretty sure my son thinks that babies come from Amazon. I mean, that’s where pretty much everything else in our house comes from. But when he eventually realizes that doesn’t seem right and wants to know the truth, I’ll be relieved to have this book at my fingertips.

At breakfast one morning, a little boy’s parents announce that a new baby is coming!

“I have a hundred questions in my head,
but the only one that comes out is
‘Are there any more cocopops?’ ”

The main question that puzzles him is the one that all adults dread answering: where do babies come from? He asks his babysitter: “You plant a seed and it grows into a baby tree,” she replies. His teacher states that babies come from the hospital. His grandpa trots out the line about the stork. And an embarrassed mailman offers that they come from eggs.

Together, the answers don’t make any sense. So he asks his parents and they set him straight. He learns that his babysitter was right about the seed, the mailman was correct about the egg, and his teacher knew about the hospital. But someone needs to circle back with grandpa and the stork, because he’s obviously confused.

My sister and best friend had babies last week, and another close friend is due any day now. I am buzzing with excitement and there is a lot of talk about babies happening at our house. But luckily, the only question my 4-year old son is interested in knowing the answer to is, “When can I meet them?”