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A children’s book with explicit illustrations of animals mating sparks a challenge FloridaOrange County Public Schools will open the library this month, but four middle school libraries will remain open after a board vote.
The controversy centers on the non-fiction book Do Animals Fall in Love? ” written by German sex education expert Katharina von der Gathen, is available in the libraries of four secondary schools in the region.
Its publisher describes this book about animal reproduction and courtship behavior as “with candid and honest illustrations – some positive ones”. It’s recommended for ages 6 and up, and says it can help adults discuss puberty and sex education through a “more neutral view of the animal kingdom.”
At the Jan. 13 school board meeting, the board voted 6-2 to move forward with the book, with board member Alicia Farrant and board president Teresa Jacobs voting against, according to the school. west orange times observer.
Penguins play before mating at the Chilean President Eduardo Frey Military Base on King George Island, Antarctica, March 13, 2014. (Vanderlei Almeida/AFP via Getty Images)
this The challenge begins after one parent objected to the book’s content and asked for reconsideration.
“The purpose of the entire book is to describe sexual behavior between different types of animals,” the parent wrote, according to The Observer , adding: “There is even information and descriptions of animal group sex.”
According to British media reports the timesThe book also features “vivid, graphic and humorous depictions of a three-metre-long blue whale penis and a deer threesome”.
Farrant also believes the book is inappropriate for middle school students.
Orange County School Board member Alicia Farrant voted against placing animal mating books on middle school bookshelves. (Ricardo Ramirez Buqueceda/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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“My youngest is in fifth grade and I can’t imagine him being in sixth grade and receiving a book like this,” she said, according to the Observer. She called it “an extra perversion.”
The Literacy Commission reviewed this book and recommended that it remain on the bookshelf for its educational value. a parent Speakers supported keeping the book, noting the committee’s recommendations and saying the content meets sixth- and seventh-grade science standards.
Supporters of the committee say the book is educational and age-appropriate.
“I think it’s a fascinating book about animal reproduction. I think it’s written in a way that students will be really interested in picking it up and learning something,” board member Stephanie Vanos said, according to Fox9.
Alicia Farrant, a member of the Orange County Public Schools Board of Trustees, said parents have told her they are concerned about inappropriate content in their students’ school libraries. (Via Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images)
Board member Vicki-Elaine Felder believes parents should be allowed to choose what’s right for their children.
“As members of the Orange County School Board, we must give parents a choice and a moral barometer that controls and guides their families,” she reportedly said. “That’s why I voted to keep this book in the school.”
under florida lawschool districts must publish a process for parents to restrict their children’s access to school or classroom library materials.
Farrant said she would continue to fight for the book to be removed from shelves, citing parent feedback about inappropriate content in school libraries.
“This is a huge problem,” she said. “We lost nearly 7,000 students last year alone.”
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Vondergassen told The Times she wrote the book to answer curious questions from children Animal reproduction and sexual behavior.
“They ask questions like: Can animals go through puberty like us? Do snakes have sex? Can animals be gay?” she explained to the media.
She also said book content Based on research she conducted with the help of the director of the Leipzig Zoo.
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According to reports, the book has become so popular that it has been translated into 15 languages since it was originally published in German in 2017.
Vondergassen did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
