The Boy's Body Guide: A Health and Hygiene Book

While the information in the book is good, the dated looking, grayscale illustrations left me cold and the layout of text and graphics is boring as well. This may seem picky, but the reality is we live in a very visual world. If a text can't hold a child's attention they won't read it.Those criticisms aside, this has the potential to be a good book in addition to the book "What's Happening to Me?" as it does cover a few topics not covered in "What's Happening to Me?" What's Happening to Me?: Boys Edition (What's Happening to Me?) . If you're only going to spring for one book, however, I wouldn't make it this one. If the publisher fixed some of the graphics and layout issues to better appeal to the target audience, I would have moved my rating up to 4 stars. The information it contains is sound and needs to be covered with our boys.One of the reviewers mentioned removing the page on masturbation. By doing that one also removes the section called "How Things Change!" that discussed the physical changes a boy's genital area experiences during puberty, what an erection is and about wet dreams, and, that those are all normal. I would not recommend removing page 37/38, two of the more important pages in the book when discussing the physical changes during puberty.I hope this book is reprinted in a more accessible format. It has the potential to be an important book in your child's life.

As a single mother, I couldn't count on my son's dad to explain the changes ahead of my 12 year-old. I am not shy and explained what I could. But my son doesn't want to hear it from "MOM". I gave him 2 books and told him as he had questions, in private, he could read this book and he would find answers to almost everything. The use of the book took the embarrassment out of what my son needed to learn, walked him through most life changing boy events. Every couple of weeks I would ask "are you reading your book?". He said ya...that was all I needed to know. I explained that if he has further questions to ask me, his uncle or read on the internet. Worked great.

I love it and I hate it for the same reasons. Love it: It has information boys need about their body. Hate: Boys need it a too young of an age for my heart. I gave the high rating because it gives the boy plain spoken info about their body, the wet dreams, the penis, erection. All the difficult stuff for parents, but a boy should know he is normal.Everything I have ever read about pedophiles grooming young boys to like them always involved a) kindly informing boys about their bodies. (sarcasm here)I believe that knowing facts about his body will help this boy not be easy pickings for a pedophile.

I first heard about this book in the "Parent" magazine. My grandson is seven but reads at sixth grade level so he could easily understand this book. He had already asked questions about when he might need deodorant , and that he didn't want hair on his body. Keep in mind a seven year old forty pound and slim as a rail child, should not have to worry about what happens to everyone.This was the perfect book.

This is a great book. I bought it for my eight year old son and he read it easily. I had read the review of one who tore out the masturbation page so I read it before I gave it to him to see if it was really all that bad. It was nothing new or too graphic for an eight year old so maybe some people are just a bit too sensitive. Regardless, we read the book and it helped answer some questions he had been having. He feels more knowledgeable and prepared for what will come.

I bought this for my son who will be 8 next week- he loves it! I know this is younger than recommended for this book, but he has started to be curious about his body and doesn't like to practice good hygiene. He immediately wanted to read this book with me and was happy to find out that things like athlete's foot are common (of course i told him it was, but mom isn't always believed- when it is mentioned in a book, however, it is a different story.) This book is great, explains a lot, and is certainly kid friendly!

I got this book for my son who just turned 8 and I liked the chapters on health and hygiene OK [I agree with other reviewers that said it is kind of simplistic and the art work isn't great].However, the section on erections, masturbation and sex was inappropriate for an 8 yo in my opinion. Way more info than an 8yo needs. I would have saved that info for an 11 or 12 year old boy - and by the time a boy is 11-12, I think the rest of the book will be too simple for him and not useful.So, all in all, I think this book was a complete waste of money. I would encourage you to seek out a book that leaves out the excess info on sex and masturbation if you are buying for a young boy, or buy a much more comprehensive book if you are buying for an older preteen.

My 9 year old son really likes this book. It is easy to read and, though very informative, is never overwhelming. It has provided an opportunity for us to have open conversations and covers things that I took for granted needed to be discussed.

Good book was impresssed with the vast amount of areas it covers. The children have found it easy to read and understand

Very informative for my son.