This welcome, oversized English import tracks the stages of fetal development month by month in actual size in a format inviting comparison with a mother's belly. Familiar objects such as a baked bean or a grown-up's finger chart the baby's growth in child-friendly terms. Each double-page spread presents facts on the left and a life-size illustration of the baby on the right. A timeline along the bottom of each page shows the baby's age in days and weeks. At nine months, a foldout page shows the full-term baby ready to enter the world. Throughout, the text uses the word "baby" for the developing fetus, although a fact bubble introduces the word "embryo." Mother and baby are clearly white, but the back cover depicts a spread of bikini-clad pregnant women of varying skin colors, showing the changes over the nine months. Parents may choose to skip the limp conclusion, which welcomes the new baby but admonishes the older child to "Remember to be quiet when the baby is asleep." (Picture book/nonfiction. 2-6)Read full book review >