How Families are Made

Dr Khan meets many families in his GP surgery, and this is his introduction to the various ways that a family can begin.

He explains the biology of a man and a woman making a baby, then explores sperm donors, IVF and surrogates. There are interesting facts about a baby in the womb (at 31 weeks they’re the size of a coconut!), and age-appropriate explanations of birth and Caesarean sections.

The main message, though, is that whoever you live with, however you came into the world, your family is special.

Included in the brightly illustrated pages are families with two mums, some with two dads, families where the children are adopted, or fostered, and single-parent families. Some children have siblings to love – and argue with! Some live with grandparents. And Dr Khan points out that families can change too, as people move around, or have more babies. 

This slim volume contains a lot of information, written in a simple, clear way, that should make children feel that their family is both normal and special. There are some medical terms used, but there’s a glossary at the back. The tone is friendly and matter-of-fact and the illustrations include a diverse range of people.