Synopses & Reviews
2016 Winner of the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction
2016 ALA Stonewall Book Award, Honor Book
2016 ALA Notable Children's Book
A comic book for kids that includes children and families of all makeups, orientations, and gender identities, Sex Is a Funny Word is an essential resource about bodies, gender, and sexuality for children ages 8 to 10 as well as their parents and caregivers. Much more than the facts of life or "the birds and the bees, Sex Is a Funny Word opens up conversations between young people and their caregivers in a way that allows adults to convey their values and beliefs while providing information about boundaries, safety, and joy.
The eagerly anticipated follow up to Lambda-nominated What Makes a Baby , from sex educator Cory Silverberg and artist Fiona Smyth, Sex Is a Funny Word reimagines sex talk for the twenty-first century.
Review
“Exciting, enlightening, and innovative, this book addresses timeless questions about sex for a new generation of kids who are increasingly aware of the broad spectrum of gender and sexual identities.” School Library Journal (Starred Review)
Review
"Emphasizing the importance of trust, respect, justice, and joy - as well as open communication - it's a thoughtful and affirming exploration of relationships, gender identity, and growing sexual awareness." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Review
“Lively design, bright, clashing colors, cartoon-style illustrations, comic strips, and plenty of humor support the informal, inclusive approach ... This carefully thought-out explanation may surprise but should be widely appreciated.” Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Sex Is a Funny Word is a book that brilliantly reminds us of our shared humanity. Whether you are LGBTQIA or any other letter in the alphabet (including 'U' for undecided), this book contains everything you ever wanted the kids in your life to know about sex. " James Lecesne, co-founder, The Trevor Project
About the Author
Raised by a children's librarian and a sex therapist, Cory Silverberg split the difference and grew up to be a sexuality educator and writer. With an academic background in education and counseling psychology, he has developed and facilitated workshops for hundreds of agencies across North America, working on a range of topics including sexuality and disability, sexual pleasure, and sexual communication. He is the coauthor of The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability, and since 2005 he has worked as the Sexuality Guide for About.com. In 2012, Silverberg developed a book project — What Makes a Baby? — that became the best-funded children's book on Kickstarter. He subsequently signed a three-book deal with Seven Stories Press to produce a series of inclusive children's books about gender and sexuality. Silverberg lives in New York City.
Fiona Smyth is a Toronto-based painter, illustrator, and cartoonist. Her first graphic novel, The Never Weres, was published by Annick Press in 2011. Fiona's comic Cheez was published in Exclaim! magazine for almost ten years, and her comic Fazooz was in Vice for eight years. Fiona teaches illustration and comics at OCAD U in Toronto.