How you came to be

Starting from the moment "a wiggly little cell from another/ joined with a round little cell from me," and written from the intimate perspective of a gestational parent speaking to their fetus, this fact-filled, lyrical book takes young readers month by month through the stages of prenatal development. Gerber leans on comparisons of gestational age to fruits and veggies; at first "lighter than a raindrop,/ softer than a feather," the embryo soon grows "as big as a pea" in month one, then a kidney bean, lime, and so on until month nine sees the fetus, "big as a melon--/ finally, you were large enough/ and strong enough/ to come out into the world." Chalabi's bold digital renderings stand out against black backdrops; paired with large, shapely graphics of produce such as pineapple and butternut squash are miniatures of faceless parents-to-be with varying skin tones and growing bellies. A loving and encouraging intro to birth for kids. Back matter includes a glossary, facts about gestation and birth, and a selected bibliography. Ages 2--4. (Apr.)

PreS-K--Addressing their baby, a birth parent rapturously narrates the monthly pregnancy progression, beginning with the meeting of the cells and continuing on to a zygote, an embryo, a fetus, and eventually a newborn. For each month of the nine, a simple unrhymed poem relates a few physiological facts about each stage, also providing the ever-popular produce size comparison. "You grew and grew-- / as large as an avocado! / Your eyes were still closed. / But--guess what? /You could move them from side to side." Small vignettes of the lone child-bearing figure with a growing belly (portrayed in several different skin and hair colors but always with long hair) accompany each poem on the verso, along with a larger picture of the fruit or vegetable on the recto, illustrated in a pared-down digital style against an all-black background. There is a small glossary at the end giving a list of "Helpful Words to Know," two brief paragraphs on "What Babies Do," and "How Babies Are Born," as well as a bibliography. VERDICT A sweet gift for expectant parents and a suitable read-aloud for an older sibling or a child curious about baby development.--Yelena Voysey