Nine Months

February 1, 2019

K-Gr 4-Beginning with a fertilized egg ("Small. Ball. The point of a pin. Then it divides..."), Paul tracks the gestation of a human fetus in poetic yet matter-of-fact language. In exacting detail (later images are labeled "actual size"), Chin depicts the developing child at specified days or weeks on one side, while on the facing pages he follows a couple and their preschool-age daughter as they share a bilingual "new baby" book, visit the doctor to see an ultrasound image, go about daily routines in their suburban house, set up furniture and supplies, and finally gather with doting grandparents at the bed where mother and newborn baby girl nestle. The author expands on her terse narrative at the end in engaging observations that include notes on fetal hiccups, how taste buds develop immersed in amniotic fluid that is actually flavored by what the mother eats, what unborn children can sense, and other wonders-plus a brief, sensitive acknowledgement that miscarriages happen but it's nobody's fault. Sex at one end of the process and cesarean sections at the other go unmentioned. Though the bibliography leaves Robie H. Harris out of the mix, it does include several comprehensive resources for parents. VERDICT A bright, savvy heads-up for younger children in growing families; equally useful for shaping expectations and providing realistic glimpses of what's going on inside a pregnant person.-John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2019
What happens when a new baby is on its way? This touching book describes milestones both inside and outside of a mother's belly over the course of nine months.A small family consisting of a mother, a father, and a small girl (all people of color with light skin and black hair) are having a fine winter's day out. Meanwhile, detailed illustrations of a single egg and its divisions begin the story of what's happening inside the mother. Each page turn brings spare, poetic text that illuminates another month of the baby's development on the left side and that also complements the scenes unfolding on the right side: a new "big sister" T-shirt, seeing the ultrasound, putting together a crib. Captions also inform readers about the timeline of fetal development and sizes. As the mother's belly grows, the verso illustrations begin to expand, and by the eighth and ninth months, an actual-size painting of a fully developed fetus takes up most of the spread, while a grandmother arrives in the squished panel on the right. Then, finally, "Loved ones arrive": both baby and family. As usual, Chin's (Pie is for Sharing, 2018, etc.) watercolor-and-gouache paintings are exquisite, conveying both scientific details and a loving extended family. Four pages of backmatter about gestation and babies follow, including a sensitive paragraph on "What if...something goes wrong?"Children both young and old will be captivated by the details of fetal development and the story of a family preparing for and welcoming a new member. (bibliography) (Informational picture book. 3-8)

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Starred review from January 28, 2019
Realistic, light-infused paintings by Chin (Grand Canyon) and spare rhymes by Paul (Are We Pears Yet?) highlight a fetus’s developmental milestones inside a mother’s womb while outside, a family lovingly prepares, month by month, for the baby’s arrival. Labeled illustrations of dividing cells, an embryo, then a fetus (depicted actual size from months four to nine) sit opposite inviting scenes of the family at the same stage getting ready to welcome its newest member. “Lips./ Flips./ Curve, dip, and groove./ She has a face./ She likes to move!” declares the “Month Five” spread, which attends the family assembling a crib. Along the way, the expecting parents proffer a “big sister” T-shirt to their preschool-age child, and mother and daughter share tender tummy-touching moments prior to the birth, which is marked by a close-up of the squalling newborn. Illustrated back matter explains the gestational stages in greater depth. Additional sections compare human and animal gestation spans and straightforwardly answer questions about multiple and premature births, as well as miscarriages. This appealing treatment of the subject strikes a perfect balance between biology—minus the birds and bees—and a gentle relevancy for young, soon-to-be siblings. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from February 1, 2019
Preschool-G *Starred Review* The parents of a small child tell her that she is going to be a big sister. Caldecott honoree Chin's detailed gouache and watercolor illustrations skillfully depict the changes in the fetus month-by-month; they also show the family of three and its activities. Verso pages have drawings of the fetus developing, while the recto pages show the family's movements as they wait and prepare for the new infant. Pictures of month four through month nine reveal the actual size of the growing baby, while the illustrations of the first three months tell what the size would be and show a magnified illustration. The story is told in short rhymes: Lashes. / Flashes. / Systems grow strong. / Feel all those hiccups! / Feel her stretch long. A double spread on month three pictures the pregnant woman having an ultrasound: Grow. / Hello. / The size of a grape. / More features form . . . / See them take shape. Readers watch the seasons change, from late winter to summer to fall, as the baby grows and gets ready for birth. The last picture of the unborn child takes a full double spread. A fun and interesting addendum, More about Babies, consists of four pages filled with facts about babies before they are born.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)