Where Willy Went…

Some readers will be startled when they open this original and explicit account of human fertilization presented with humour and wit. The story, told through excellent illustrations and a succinct but not banal text, will help answer young children’s, often very detailed, questions about where they came from. We follow the journey of a sperm called Willy as he enters the Great Swimming Race to fertilise the egg inside Mrs Brown. The double spread showing the development of the fertilised egg from embryo to foetus, ending with a recognisable baby form, would fascinate a young child. A lot of information, some of it quite subtle, is conveyed through image and word. The sheer generosity of nature in creating so many sperm, only one of which will fertilise the egg, is evident in a picture of a wonderful stream of individual sperm all rushing to their goal. The sheer poetry of the process comes alive! Human genetics is hinted at – baby Edna grows up to be as bad at sums and as good at swimming as Willy. Above all, without tedious explanation, it shows everything in the context of a loving relationship.