Module 15

 Censorship Issues

My Mom's Having a Baby by Dori Hillestad Butler

Illustrated by Carol Thompson

Bibliography
Butler, D. H.  (2005). My Mom's Having a Baby. Morton Grove, IL : Albert Whitman & Company.


ISBN 0-7085-5344-1

Summary

The story is of a family who is expecting their second child, and they share all of the experiences of being pregnant with their first child, daughter Elizabeth.  They take her to the doctor appointments, and let her hear the heartbeat, and even tell her how mommy got a baby inside of her in the first place.  Which includes the answer to her question of "how dad's sperm and the mom's egg get together?' a graphic answer.

My Impression


I think it's a cute story about mommy having a baby, but it should be for parents to read and share the story with their young kids, only because it's not something they can understand by themselves, and I am not trying to censor it just saying that the parent should discuss it with the child.


Reviews

Children's Literature

Elizabeth's mother is expecting a baby, and the whole family is involved. Most curious about the little brother or sister growing inside of her mom is Elizabeth, the narrator of this fiction-with-a-nonfiction-focus story. Although told within a 32-page picture book format, this fictionalized journey of an infant's development from conception to birth is intended for a slightly older readership. The story is told from a child-centered viewpoint: as baby grows within Mom's womb, Elizabeth traces the baby's monthly growth. Full-color illustrations show both the inside and outside changes that occur throughout the nine months. The pictures are charming, cheery and full of warm emotion. The well-researched text explains things in a manner that is, for the most part, appropriate and understandable for a child. Elizabeth's father and grandmother are involved and supportive throughout her mother's pregnancy, too. The focus here is on an older sibling's curiosity and eagerness for a younger brother and sister—sibling rivalry worries are not part of the plotline—and the overall tone is as upbeat and lively as the bouncy illustrations. 2005, Albert Whitman & Company, Ages 6 to 10. 


From School Library Journal
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Kindergarten-Grade 4–In a conversational tone, Elizabeth describes the month-by-month development of the baby as well as the changes in Mom's body. With a child as narrator, the text naturally includes topics of interest to readers, from the growing size of the fetus to the different ways Elizabeth interacts with him, from Doppler to ultrasound to simply feeling his hard bump of a head through her mother's tummy. Through very direct language and clear illustrations, children will learn about a man's testicles where sperm are made and the fallopian tube where an egg is fertilized. Rather than ending at this clinical description, Mom answers Elizabeth's big question, "how do Dad's sperm and your egg get together?" As part of her measured response, she explains, "The man puts his penis between the woman's legs and inside her vagina. After a while, a white liquid shoots out of the man's penis and into the woman's vagina. The liquid is full of millions of sperm." So, too, details are not spared when the birth is described. The playful and colorful illustrations add exuberance to the text, combining full-page paintings, cartoon panels, word balloons, and free-floating images, many of which are of the developing baby. The joy and love felt by all of the family members is palpable. This volume is an excellent choice for those readers who are ready to ask and be told some of life's basic facts.–Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI 

Use in Library Setting

This book, I think, can be housed in the 'parent collection' are of the children's room, and at the library I work at that is exactly where it is.  My opinion has nothing to do with censorship, that is actually why I chose and read this book because I was confused as to why this would be one of the censored titles. And I saw why, it's not a big deal but since kids are not mature enough this book is not for them, it's a source for parents to use if and when want it to explain to their little children about mommy having another baby.  I work in a middle school and some kids are still not mature enough for it, some guys had found an atrists work of a women with her top off and they were giggling and asking me if it was appropriate to have a book like that in our school.  It's a cute book but is very graphic and informative, which is great but it obviously is not a typical picture book a toddler can read and understand by themselves.

Review. (n.d.). My Mom's Having a Baby. [Review of the book My Mom's Having a Baby].  

Barnes & Noble. 

Available from

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-moms-having-a-baby-dori-hillestad-butler/1112089920?ean=9780807553480

Review. (n.d.). My Mom's Having a Baby. [Review of the book  My Mom's Having a Baby].  

Amazon.com.

Available from

http://www.amazon.com/Moms-Having-Baby-Month---Month/dp/0807553484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354989993&sr=8-1&keywords=my+mom%27s+having+a+baby

Image from

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=my+mom%27s+having+a+baby+book&view=detail&id=F42B08F5BAF08BBB8EC13A431EC693CA6916CC58