"Where Did I Come From?"

“Where Did I Come From” by Peter Mayle and illustrated by Arthur Robins is on the 100 most challenged books list.

I purchased this book for my first child when I was expecting her sister in 1985.  Morgan was almost two years old at that time.  This book has been read many times, occasionally embarrassing more than one guest when they would offer to read and my child would run and get this book for them to read aloud.  It is nonfiction with realistic cartoon sketches of a mom and dad appearing naked and dressed discussing how and where babies come from.  The illustrations demonstrate how a baby develops in the uterus month by month and then shows the baby emerging from the uterus opening.  Since the suggested reading level for this book is four (4) years old, I asked my adult children if they were traumatized by the book.  The answer was no.  They think is a great book with wonderful illustrations that make a point without being corny or too detailed and they intend on giving this book as a present to all of the expecting friends.

Exposition:  Mom and dad are in the living room telling their children where they came from.

Conflict:  The discussion about how a baby is made by bigger people.

Rising Action:  The parts of the body and how they are used to make a baby.

Climax:  The actions taken to conceive a baby.

Falling Action:  The development of the baby inside the uterus.

Resolution:  The birth of the baby.

The illustrations are cartoonish.  They help tell the birth of a baby in a non-threatening manner. 

Mayle, P. (1973). "Where did I come from?'. Secaucus: Lyle Stuart Inc.