A Kids Book About Periods (2024)

Did I read this while I was on my period? Yes.
Did I cry while reading this? Totally.

“A Kids Book About Periods” is the kind of book I wish I had read when I was a kid. It makes the topic of menstruation approachable and normalizes periods as well.

Is this the only book you need to discuss periods with your child? No. I do think this is a great introduction to the topic of periods and would be a great resource to use. I’d say this book focuses on the basics and the questions and feelings that might arise when first discussing the topic of a period more than anything else.

Thank you to NetGalley and DK for an advanced copy of this book.

I love the message behind this simple, straightforward book: periods are normal.
They're not shameful, it's fine to talk about them, they're normal.
"In fact, on average, there will be 800 million people around the world on their period on any given day."

This looks like a picture book but is primarily text with some small grayscale illustrations.
I figure illustrating periods and menstrual products is still somewhat taboo in a book aimed at children ages 7 and up but visual learners would probably benefit from understanding what period blood in the underwear looks like (mine wasn't blood red when I had my first few periods, I didn't know what it was at first), what pads, cups, tampons, and period underwear look like and even how they're used, in general.

Also, some discussion about feelings surrounding a period would have been helpful. For instance, one page says, "Periods are cool!"
I disagree. I hated my period. It left me incapacitated for several days every month. I dreaded it. It definitely wasn't cool. Those feelings weren't born of shame, they were born of pain and inconvenience and it was completely ok to hate my period.
At the same time, my BFF had light periods that lasted a few days and didn't inconvenience her at all. She had no dread surrounding her period (unless she realized she was wearing white pants on the wrong day). I don't think she'd say her period was cool but she also wouldn't say anything bad about it and that is also ok.

I imagine there will be a group of people who do not approve of this book simply because it talks about periods and they would prefer children to not know what happens in human bodies until it's happening.
And there will be another group who will probably try to ban this book because it's inclusive (i.e. "woke") and doesn't assign periods to genders.

However, if you don't fall into either of those groups and you're looking for a way to start a conversation about periods with young children, this is a great place to start.

There are probably a few things I, personally, would have changed about A Book About Periods by Jessica Biel.

For example, I think there should have been more illustrations and that some of them should have been labeled—why would you skip over the opportunity to actually show what all the period product options are??—to be a little more informative about periods. This way the book can be practical and helpful, less overwhelming and, if I’m being honest, unnecessarily advanced for a lot of kids. I mean, you’re really going to talk about the endometrium more than you’re going to go over the day to day products that these kids will likely need to start using?

All of that said, I think this book accomplishes what it set out to do, which is start the conversation. This will by no means be the only book you want to pick up when you’re having a conversation with your kiddo about their period. It’s not the end all be all and there’s a lot more to learn about our bodies and reproductive systems than could be covered in an introductory book for kids. I’m still learning about my own and I’m already past my 20s.

So, I think this is a good starting point for some. For others, you might need a more practical and simple book to ease into the idea a little more. I think it’s just gonna depend on the parents and the kids. But one thing is for certain: the conversation needs to be had. Let’s not continue the previous generations’ horrible habit of not preparing their daughters for what will happen to them.

I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great starter book when talking to kids about periods. I love how this book uses a no-nonsense approach when talking about periods. She used the actual terms that are necessary for understanding your body and what is happening. This book is a super basic period book. It doesn't talk about the reproductive system or anatomy other than the uterus and ovaries, it mentions puberty but doesn't go into details, and it doesn't talk in detail about menstrual products. This is 100% just about periods. I think there was a huge missed opportunity here with that, I would have loved more information.

I absolutely love the positive talk about periods. Periods are too often talked about in a negative way, about them being gross or dirty, unnatural, and something to be ashamed of. This book makes it very clear that all of that is not at all true.

Would I recommend this book? I'm not sure, to be honest. I personally wouldn't buy this because I'd rather get a book that includes all this information along with more about the reproductive system, menstrual products, and more. This book doesn't do anything to make it stand out among the similar books other than the fact that it's written by a celebrity. That doesn't mean this isn't a good book, it would be a perfect addition to a school library or a part of health class.