HOW DO YOU MAKE A BABY?

This frank, cartoon-illustrated picture book answers its titular question with Scandinavian directness. “People in love enjoy being as close as possible. They hug, kiss and touch each other.” So far this is much like many others of its ilk, but then: “To get even closer they take off their clothes and hug. When Papa’s penis is in Mama’s vagina they’re as close as two people can be.” Illustrating this is a goofy cartoon of nude sexual partners, the penis uttering a cheery “Hello!” and the vagina responding, “Come in!” It’s as far from prurient as can be imagined. In vitro fertilization and the unpredictable timeline of typical fertilization are both addressed before the book moves on to pregnancy and birth, the latter of which is visually presented as directly as intercourse was. Internal views of swimming sperm and gestating babies speak to the science of conception and pregnancy. Adults and babies are racially diverse; while the emphasis is on opposite-sex partnership and parenthood, same-sex couples are present in both text and pictures. Gender identity goes unmentioned, as does gestational surrogacy, and the one page on adoption cannot begin to encompass its complexity. The text’s mild cheekiness balances the informational load and should ease shared read-alouds in families unaccustomed to this book’s straightforwardness.

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