5 books to help you answer those tricky parenting questions

Explaining the complexities of everyday life can be a minefield for the parents of an inquisitive child. From divorce and death to religion and relationships; bodies and boobies to the birds and the bees, every day presents a new opportunity for an awkward question.

It’s 8.30am. You’re navigating rush hour traffic, planning dinner and praying you find a hairbrush in your bag before you reach the office when a little voice pipes up from the back seat: “Mummy, why don’t girls have willies?” Avoid the ‘erms’ ‘uhs’ and ‘hmmms’ by breaking it down for your curious offspring with a good book. Here’s our pick of the most common questions and the books that will help you answer them: The question: Where do babies come from? The book: Before You Were Born by Jennifer Davis This beautifully illustrated ‘lift-the-flap’ book tells the parallel story of mother and baby during the nine months of pregnancy. The tone is reassuring and it’s written in whimsical rhyme. The question: Why do we poop? The book: Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi Everybody Poops is a celebration of a very natural process. Sure, it’s a little graphic but what did you expect? This one is a must for anybody struggling with potty training. The question: What does ‘gay’ mean? The book: And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson The 10th Anniversary edition of this bestseller takes young readers inside the penguin house at Central Park Zoo, home to Roy and Silo. The pair long for a family of their own and with the help of a kindly zookeeper, their dream of raising a baby penguin becomes a reality. The question: What happens when we die? The book: The Invisible String by Patrice Karst This lovely story deals with separation in a subtle way, reassuring children that even though they can't always be with a loved one, they're always in each other's hearts. The question: What does divorced mean? The book: Mum and Dad Glue by Kes Gray Worried about his parent’s upcoming divorce, a little boy goes in search of a pot of glue to stick them back together. This charming book shows that, even though mum and dad might feel a little differently about each other now, their love for him is still the same.