Sex-Ed Books That Blew Our Mind!

On a background that is textured like toilet paper, is an image of one of the sex-education toilet paper rolls made by Sowledge. The toilet paper has comic book style images on it, along with text in Japanese.

Cool Sex-Ed Books From Around The World: Part 1

Sex-Ed Toilet Paper

Made by Sowledge; a company started by Nanase Tsuruta, a 28-year-old who said she wanted to provide basic sex education in daily life

Written in Japanese for elementary school aged children (5 years and up)

Why this book matters

Based on the perspective that “sex-education is part of everyday life.”

Combats taboos and hesitation in seeking out sex-ed, by making information easy to access in privacy.

Aims to help children safeguard themselves from sexual abuse, by teaching them to identify inappropriate behaviour, and by teaching sexual etiquette.

Created in consultation with doctors and other specialists in line with UNESCO’s guidelines.

Attractive comic book style illustrations and writing in easy language (for example, “bed of blood,” instead of “endometrium”).

On a background that is textured like toilet paper, is a photograph of Nanase Tsuruta, the founder of Sowledge, presenting packs of the toilet paper to a couple of students. Some illustrations from the toilet paper are also shown.

The janhit me jaari jaankari includes:

sexuality, menstruation and ejaculation, sexual consent, sexual abuse and violence.

Mizudo Elementary School was the first at that level in Japan to introduce the toilet paper on a wide scale.

Later, a Japanese municipality, Amagasaki, also decided to use the toilet roll design.

On a background that is textured like toilet paper, is an image of a strip from the sex-education toilet paper rolls made by Sowledge. It has comic book style images on it, along with text in Japanese.

An excerpt from the book:

Here’s the translation for the above image, frame by frame.

Ejaculation?

At times like waking up in the morning or getting sexually excited, the penis gets hard. This is called erection.

When the penis is stimulated white liquid comes out. (Sometimes it happens even when the penis is not stimulated while sleeping) This is called ejaculation and the white liquid is called semen. Semen contains sperm, which are the seeds of life.

Sometimes sperm are contained in the colourless liquid that comes out before ejaculation.

There’s nothing odd about having strong sexual desires - it's normal. But don’t do things that the other person doesn’t like and don’t touch your sex organs in public.

On a background that is textured like toilet paper, is a photograph of Nanase Tsuruta, the founder of Sowledge. She is a Japanese woman with shoulder length hair. In this photograph, she is smiling.

“As it stands, whether children have access to accurate information depends on the awareness and economic situation of each family, so I think we need to create an environment where everyone can receive the correct information.”

-From an interview with Tsuruta in Vogue Japan

The card contains a picture of a book titled ‘How Babies Are Made.’ The book is illustrated in a scrapbook-style fashion, made up of different cut-out cards. The main illustration on the book consists of a heterosexual couple who are lovingly leaning over their sleeping baby in a pram with white lace details. The mother has a blonde bob cut and the father auburn-coloured hair has been combed back neatly. The entire card also has a white polka-dotted purple border.

Awesome Sex-ed Books Around the World-Part 2

A vintage children book from 1968, with dreamy papercut images, Like a book of fairy tales.

How Babies Are Made

Authors: Steven Schepp and Andrew Andry

Illustrator: Blake Hampton

Except instead of "once upon a time," this book begins with, "This is a story about you…”

The scrapbook-style paper-cut illustrations continue across the cards, to reflect the artistic style of the book ‘How Babies Are Made.’ The first illustration on the card depicts the process of pollination in a flower through a bee carrier. The second pair of illustrations depicts sexual intercourse between a rooster and a hen – and how the sperm meet the hen’s ova as a result. The third illustration is of the umbilical cord being removed from a baby. The entire card has a white polka-dotted sky-blue border.

What's Awesome About It

Like a bed time tale told to a child, the book feels like a hug !

It tells children how babies are made in nature - (plant, animal and people babies) gently and pyaar se... For example: When it talks about cutting the umbilical cord, it reassures children "it did not hurt."

And araam se, as stories do, it makes reproduction and birth a part of everyday imagination

The illustrations on the third card depict the process of creating a human baby. The first illustration shows the same couple as the one in the first card being intimate under a patterned bedsheet. The second illustration depicts the moment when the baby is pushed out from the vagina. The entire card has a white polka-dotted sky-blue border.

Here's An Excerpt From The Book

"The sperm, which come from the father's testicles, are sent into the mother through his penis. To do this, the father and the mother lie down facing each other, and the father places his penis in the mother's vagina. Unlike plants and animals, when human mothers and fathers create a new baby they are sharing a very personal and special relationship.”

The card has a white polka-dotted purple border. There are no images.

Earlier in this series :

The Japanese Sex-Ed Book On Toilet Paper

Next Week:

Its Perfectly Normal

Cool Sex-Ed Books From Around The World- Part 3

It's Perfectly Normal-Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, Gender, and Sexual Health

By ROBIE H. HARRIS and MICHAEL EMBERLEY

A sex-ed book that talks to kids as kids want to be spoken to. Bole toh? Unflinching, direct, and without the tadka of taboo and shame-shame.

The second card contains a snippet of a page from the book on the right side. It is titled ‘Perfectly Normal Masturbation.’ There is an illustration of a girl masturbating on a bed with her hand between her legs. A second illustration shows a boy doing the same.

WHAT'S AWESOME ABOUT IT!

No matter what the topic - the book says it like it is.

Here is an example :

"Masturbation is touching or rubbing any of your body's sex organs for pleasure - because it feels good. One everyday term for masturbating is 'playing with yourself."

"Some people think that masturbation is wrong or harmful. And some religions call masturbation a sin. But masturbating cannot hurt you. And it does not result in a pregnancy or in getting and passing on infections spread through sexual contact."

The book updates itself regularly, to include topics such as sexting and Internet safety - isn't that cool?

The third card also contains snippets of two pages from ‘It’s Perfectly Normal.’ The first one has an illustration of two naked people in bed, being intimate with each other. The second has drawings of a boy growing older, showing stages of male puberty.

JAHAN HONESTY, WAHAN GATEKEEPERS.

Critics claim the book is "pornographic" aka not safe for children. (But socho - is all conversation about sex automatically porn?)

One parent wrote a letter to a newspaper declaring that topics such as masturbation, multiple sexual orientations and gender identities, oral and anal sex, etc SHOULD NOT BE IN CHILDREN'S BOOKS!

Writer Robbie H Harris' response?"To me it wasn't controversial. It's what every child has a right to know.”

The card has an orange border with white polka dots.

EARLIER IN THIS SERIES:

1. The JAPANESE sex-ed book printed on TOILET PAPER

2. HOW BABIES ARE MADE

NEXT WEEK:

The MUSLIMAH SEX MANUAL: A Halal Guide to Mind Blowing Sex

Text on the card reads:

Awesome Sex-ed Books Around the World-Part 4

The Muslimah Sex Manual- A Halal Guide to Mind Blowing Sex

A sex manual designed for the practising Muslim heterosexual woman, in the tone of advice from an elder sister

The second card features text on different pointers from the book. Each pointer has a uniquely illustrated bullet point. They include a rose, a small curling flame and a heart with rays emanating from it.

Text on the card reads:

WHAT'S AWESOME ABOUT IT

Immensely practical, not just theorybaaz! The author draws on personal experiences to share sex tips like an older sister or friend.

From sex positions, to dirty talk, to ideas on "how to be a freak in bed," the book has all the masala for a spicy sex life, while being observant, or as the book would say, "staying halal." Using pleasure to shrug away stereotypes and fear FTW!

What's awesomest? The book has been so impactful that men have asked the author to write a book for them, on how they can please their wives in bed. Hai na win-win?

The card has a caricature of an angry mustachioed man wearing a green-print kurta. There is a fountain pen in the lower-right corner of the card with ink bleeding out which has the authors quotes in it.

Text on the card reads:

WHERE THERE'S PLEASURE CAN CRITICS BE FAR BEHIND?

Some folks have criticised the book saying the author is encouraging promiscuity and objectifying Muslim women.

The author has chosen to stay anonymous. She says, this is not just to avoid being harassed by conservative critics, but also, because, "By separating my real self from the book, people are forced to deal with the content.”

At the top of the card, there are inquisitive eyes peeking, partially covered behind a red box.. The other text on the card is enclosed within a red-line border with two roses on its corners and water droplets.

Text on the card reads:

SNEAK A PEEK INTO THE BOOK:

"Start with foreplay until you're wet. Have him insert at least two fingers inside of you before moving on to his penis.

Once you're relaxed and comfortable, guide him inside. It should NOT require a lot of force. If you can't get it in, pull out, go back to foreplay, and focus on him fingering you. Then try again. If it still won't go in, see a doctor.”