Many religious educators, UU parents, and RE teachers have asked, "Is there a resource you would recommend to bridge the gap between OWL Grades K-1 and OWL Grades 4-6?" Yes, there is! It’s called IT’S SO AMAZING!: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families

Have you ever looked at your baby pictures? Have you ever wondered where babies come from or how babies are made or where you came from or how you really began? The arrival of a new baby is so amazing! Most kids -- but not all -- are curious about how such an amazing and wonderful thing could possibly happen.

Robie Harris and Michael Emberley, author and illustrator of It’s Perfectly Normal, companion reader for Our Whole Lives Grades 4-6, created It’s So Amazing! in response to requests from parents, educators, and health professionals for a book that would address younger children’s concerns. This comprehensive book is just what elementary school children (and their families) need to provide answers to their questions with age-appropriate language and to keep them safe and healthy. Again, throughout this book a curious BIRD and a queasy BEE help tell the amazing story about eggs and sperm, birth and babies, and families and sex and sexuality. The running cartoon commentary between BIRD and BEE provide the text that encompasses the age-appropriate questions like: How does a baby begin? What makes a baby male or female? How is a baby born? How is a baby adopted? Children’s concerns about "how it works" are addressed in chapters entitled "Egg + Sperm = Baby," "The Amazing Egg Trip," "The Amazing Sperm Trip," "A Warm and Cozy Womb," and "What Makes You You." Issues of sex, gender, love, becoming family, keeping safe, and talking about HIV and AIDS are approached with colorful (and sometimes lifesize) illustrations and text that will help children view sexuality as a natural part of life. Affirmations of homosexuality, families of all kinds, masturbation, and growing up give children a healthy understanding of their bodies and their families.

This book is a terrific teaching tool for parents and teachers of 7- to 12-year-old children with illustrations and text to complement the beautiful message It’s So Amazing! It is an excellent resource to use at home or in religious education programs in UU congregations to learn about and celebrate the gift of sexuality and to practice the Our Whole Lives values of respect, reciprocity, and responsibility.