This children’s book about where babies come from is a queer parent’s dream

An inclusive children’s book is gaining praise from parents everywhere since queer author Markus Harwood-Jones brought attention to it on TikTok.

What Makes a Baby by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth is an extremely accessible story of the many ways babies come into this world. Written for kids ages preschool to eight, the book is bursting with color and imagery that makes learning the science behind creating life a joy for all ages and all types of families.

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Harwood-Jones read the entire story on TikTok and praised it as “a beautifully simple yet accurate and inclusive depiction of how babies are made.” The story is not only applicable to LGBTQ+ parents, either. Through its inclusive language, it can apply to absolutely anyone.

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Instead of diving deep into a single process to create a baby like in virto fertilization (IVF), sexual intercourse, or surrogacy, the book tells the story of a sperm and an egg that must meet and be placed into someone with a uterus in order for life to form. It acknowledges the variety of ways this can happen and the variety of people that may or may not be involved.

Comments on Harwood-Jones’s video praised the story.

“I love the accuracy of the terminology,” wrote one user. “Human anatomy isn’t too much for children to learn and this book makes it so accessible for them to learn!”

Another wrote, “My heart felt so warm with all the inclusivity!”

“I’m an IVF baby, and would’ve loved this book when i was younger,” said a third follower.

A fourth added, “My son was made with a donor egg, but born from me. This is the book we will use to explain it! I love it so much.”

The comments go on and on. Many wished they had something like it growing up. Some said they cried. One user pointed out that the book’s inclusivity actually made sharing all the information simpler for kids. One person called it a “revolution.”

Queer author and parent B.J. Woodstein told Metro that she recommends the book because its “bright illustrations depict people in colors that humans don’t actually come in, so anyone can relate to the story, plus they are all non-gendered, which shows readers that people with all sorts of bodies can have eggs or sperm or a uterus.”

“For parents unsure how to talk about trans topics, this can be a great introduction. Furthermore, Silverberg leaves a lot of room for you to tell your own story, which makes the book applicable to any and every family,” Woodstein added.

“Your child gets the basics of where babies come from, while you add the specifics of how you created your family, whether that was through adoption, fertility treatment, intercourse or another way,” Woodstein continued.

“When Silverberg asks, ‘Who was waiting for you to be born?’, my daughters love to respond, ‘Mummy and Mama, and they wanted us so much!'”