Book Recommendation: Hello Baby

When we went camping my oldest boy made friends with a boy who lives at the Sunshine Coast.  Last weekend that boy came for a sleep-over.  I drove him back and was having a chat with his mother and it turns out, her partner had a homebirth with their younger boy (She has two).  So she pulled out this beautiful book, Hello Baby which you can find at Fishpond and get free postage if you’re in Australia.  She let me borrow it but it’s such a great book that I’ve bought a copy of my own to have forever. 
It is anatomically correct, actually shows the birthing process in a gentle way at home, is slightly confrontational for those who are not used to seeing children’s books with naked mothers in it and beautifully illustrated in a way that makes me feel cosy and nostalgic (not that I’ve ever lived next to a forest or needed a fireplace for the last 14 years).
So I wanted to share the book love. 

This is an especially great book for me because the baby in the book is a Boy and the first thing that Miss K did was point to his penis and then to herself.  So great for teaching little ones about differences in anatomy and their name. 
Her father wasn’t all that impressed when I showed it to him.  He looked through the pictures and said ‘That’s interesting, a bit full on’, so as I know he was present at one of his mother’s births I asked how she went about preparing him? ‘Oh she had us sit in front of the TV and watch birth videos’. Hmmmm, a bit more ‘full-on’ than a children’s book.  I pointed this out, that it was not confrontational, there was no screaming sounds or blood or splattering of amniotic fluid. He said good point and approved of me reading it to the older boys (Not that it was  going to stop me reading it to them but it's nice that he's on board).
I’ve asked both boys if they’d like to see their brother being born and the reaction is quite mixed.  Master J who is 9, immediately said ‘ew no’ but Master N who is 7, just blankly stared at me as if to say ‘What are you talking about?’.  I think this book might be the missing link he needs to connect the dots that the baby has to come out of my tummy and the only way out is down.  I think with enough exposure to the book and to this birth, both boys will consider it as natural as they consider Breastfeeding.  Even if it is slightly embarrassing to see mum’s naked body in the lounge-room (where I plan to have the pool).