THE SECRET CODE INSIDE YOU: All about Your DNA (A4 Hardcover)
written by Rajani LaRocca, MD & illustrated by Steven Salerno
‘Dynamic and eye-catching illustrations. . . . A solid introduction to a complex topic.’ – Kirkus Reviews
‘This whimsical approach to explaining the concept of DNA, cells, and chromosomes manages to make a complex topic accessible to preschoolers.’ – School Library Journal
Learn about the secret code that is DNA in this vibrant and informative picture book!
There’s a secret code inside you, a code called DNA.
A code that tells your body’s cells what they should do each day.
It looks like twisted ladders, or tiny, twirling noodles.
It makes us into people, instead of into poodles.
Why can’t humans breathe underwater? Why are some people tall and others short? Why do we resemble our parents and grandparents? This book explores all this and more in flowing, rhyming text, explaining cells, DNA, and genetics in a way that is simple and easy for children to understand. Colorful and brilliantly illustrated, The Secret Code Inside You illustrates that while DNA may be the blueprint for how a person looks, what you choose to do with your body is entirely up to you!
Although not specifically aimed at donor families, we love the gentle explanation “You might share genes with those you love, or some you never knew”. A lovely way to start to explore the topic of how our genes and who we are come from the parents we love as well as the donors.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR & THE ILLUSTRATOR
Rajani LaRocca, MD, was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in the Boston area with her wonderful family and impossibly cute dog. She earned a BA and an MD from Harvard, and spends her time writing novels and picture books, practicing medicine, and baking too many sweet treats. She is the author of MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM, MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL, SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS, and RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE.
Steven Salerno has illustrated more than thirty picture books, including BROTHERS AT BAT, which made the New York Times Book Review’s list of notable picture books, THE CRAYON MAN: THE TRUE STORY OF THE INVENTION OF CRAYOLA CRAYONS, which won the Irma Black Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature, and PRIDE: THE STORY OF HARVEY MILK AND THE RAINBOW FLAG. Originally from Vermont, Steven lives and works in New York City.
