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Davies, Nicola

Grow: Secrets of Our DNA

| Candlewick | September, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-1-5362-1272-3 $17.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Emily Sutton. Veteran science author Davies (Many: The Diversity of Life on Earth, rev. 11/17) introduces DNA to a young audience by making two initial points. First, all living things grow; and, second, growing means change. Here, Davies reinforces the concept of growth and change with clear examples of seeds and caterpillars that grow into, respectively, flowers and butterflies. After establishing these principles, she then relates them to humans, how they change from a "tiny blob, smaller than a dot" to adults. A set of instructions in our bodies, called the genetic code and created by genes, directs that change. Turning these concepts into concrete examples, Davies explains that it takes four genes to create a nose's shape or one hundred genes to create the color and consistency of hair. She further explains that genes come from biological parents, although not in the same combination for all siblings. Although the illustration of DNA's double helix may be too abstract for the audience, it does not impede the text descriptions and may well act as a cognitive placeholder for a later time. There's a small detour into teleology ("Others grow slowly so they can keep going when times are tough") but this should not interfere with overall meaning. Sutton's watercolor illustrations are particularly strong when depicting growth, showing that some living things grow quickly while others grow slowly, and some become large while others grow into small flora or fauna.
Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

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