Making More: How Life Begins

“Everywhere, all around you, life is making more.” Roy begins this elegantly illustrated nonfiction study with views of a pale-skinned human family—one of whom is visibly pregnant—hiking through a park while new life emerges all around them. Snakes entwine, a beetle lays brilliant yellow eggs, a doe licks a fawn. Scientific prose details how two sets of genes “meet and merge,” describing how when various forms of flora and fauna “make more,” the process passes along genetic material (“Genes are the chemical instructions inside of cells that tell them what to do”). Full spreads expound on plant reproduction, mammalian gestation, and the early life stages of fish and amphibians. Each section includes a vivid, naturalistic watercolor portrait, explanatory text, and detailed, sometimes playful watercolor diagrams. Clear text and intimate portraits make this a thorough, substantive resource. Extensive back matter includes a glossary and author’s note. Ages 7–10. (Mar.)