How far is too far with ‘graphic’ kids’ book on shelves?

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A mom and a grandma are shocked after coming across a book in the young children’s section of Ollie’s Bargain Outlet.

They were interested in a book aimed at helping young children learn about their bodies. But the book showed more than they bargained for.

We spoke to one parent who says she’s not against the book but questions how far is too far.

Lanel Williams says the conversation about “the birds and the bees” happens at different time frames for every parent.

As she was shopping for her grandchildren’s Christmas gifts, she never imagined stumbling across a book telling her 3-year-old grandson how his life was created.

“We thought it was going to be like a big brother, big sister type book, you know, and having a brand-new grandbaby. We said, so we’ll be able to get this for Barrett one day, you know, and then it was like, oh, wait a minute,” she said.

Shocked and unable to form a sentence is how Williams describes her reaction when she opened a children’s book by Dagmar Geisler in the Augusta Ollie’s.

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“It embarrassed me. It was disgusting. It was very graphic, the visuals with the pictures that were in there. They were, you know, hand-drawn pictures. They weren’t actual real people. But it was very graphic,” she said.

Geisler’s book “Was I in Mama’s Stomach, Too?” is designed to help parents speak with their children ages 3 to 6 about sex.

She told the manager it needed to be removed.

“I told him I said this book was found in your store, in your children’s department, so he took it. He said he would check into it, and he would pull them off the shelf,” said Williams.

Because of what is on the inside.

“The things that it demonstrated visually was pornography in animated cartoon character form, which is also inviting to the children to look at,” she said.

It’s grabbed parents’ attention across the globe. If you Google the book’s title, you’ll find a sea of controversy and other titles by the author, with vivid descriptions. But some say the translation and the differences between the German authors’ cultural backgrounds are where the disconnect comes from.

“It was talking about caressing different body parts. And just the part about the intercourse area, you know, that was very embarrassing to me to read. You know, I mean, it was very detailed,” said Williams.

As a teacher, mother, and grandmother, Williams is passionate about education, but in a way she says is age appropriate for little ones to understand.

“They don’t have any experience. They don’t have the knowledge to understand the words, except, feel good. And even then, the correct terminology, you know, you grow up differently. Different people have different names for the different parts of your body,” she said.

Ollie’s in Augusta removed the book from the shelf, and when we stopped by to ask if they would be selling any more, they said no.

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