Making a baby

Gr 2--5--The gestation and eventual birth of a human baby is one of the true miracles; starting a family is an intimate, loving, and complicated experience. How much children are told about the process can vary widely, from the silly explanations involving cabbage patches and storks to the more frank and direct approach found in this book. It is biologically accurate, covering reproductive methods other than intercourse as well, e.g., artificial insemination and surrogacy. The illustrations are anatomically correct but not graphic; the descriptive language is straightforward and accurate in naming body parts. With all the right information, this book challenges educators to determine the audience: What age, what life experience, and what social and cultural issues does it address? Where will it do the most good? The subject and the relatively small illustrations limit its usefulness in story-hour sharing. It's perfect for reading in a one-on-one setting, but only by a caretaker who wants to answer a curious child's questions without sugarcoating or distorting the process. The imminent birth of a new sibling might inspire parents to seek out this information and then deliver it on a need-to-know basis. VERDICT A book that really tells it like it is, from the sex act to birth, without shying away from topics such as male, female, and intersex genders, egg and sperm donations, and C-sections, this should be available in all public and school libraries.--Joan Kindig, James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA

"When they are born, most babies are either called boys or girls based on what their bodies look like." This baby-making primer takes a decidedly inclusive approach to the topic, steering clear of rigidly gendered language and featuring a wide range of family members and configurations. Using a muted color palette, Owen's cleanly rendered art has a retro aesthetic and includes people of different races, genders, shapes, and abilities -- happy-looking families all. After dispelling some popular dodges (stork, cabbage patch), the forthright text launches into the old-fashioned method: "A grown-up with a penis and a grown-up with a vagina can make a baby by having sex, if they want to." The illustration keeps the covers on an interracial couple in bed, but a helpful cross-sectional inset image shows what it looks like when "the penis [is] inside the vagina." Greener explains that "there are lots of reasons why" sexual intercourse isn't the only way people have babies and includes descriptions of assisted reproductive techniques, surrogacy, and adoption before moving on to discuss pregnancy, fetal development, labor, and delivery. A final spread discusses gender and biological sex, why "some babies [don't] grow," and premature births. An authentic and honest celebration of babies, families, and diversity. Kitty Flynn September/October 2021 p.115(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.