F is for Fingerprints.
For author Valerie Silva, this entry is an especially meaningful one in her children’s book, ABC - Life In The Womb.
Under the illustration of a child’s finger and a microscope, the text reads: By nine weeks, baby will have fingerprints formed and they will be the only ones like that in the world.
“I love instilling in children how each and every one of them is so special and created in the image of God,” Silva said.
Silva and illustrator Hillary Craig published their book in 2021. The women met seven years earlier at a volunteer training for the Hollister (Ca.) Pregnancy Center. Their hope for the alphabet book is “to see children and adults alike grow and share their knowledge about the precious life of a baby in the womb.” They want the next generation to value life and stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Silva and her family have since relocated from California to Idaho, where she works as the Events and Office Manager at Lifeline Pregnancy Care Center in the town of Nampa. ABC - Life In The Womb is her first book. She recalled how “God planted the seed” for the concept during a time of prayer.
ABC - Life in the Womb, in addition to entries for the 26 letters of the alphabet, also includes interwoven scientific facts, diagrams, and Bible verses such as Jeremiah 1:5 (“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb…”) and Psalm 139: 13-17 (“For you created my inmost being…”).
Silva, a mother of three boys, credited Care Net President and CEO Roland Warren for feedback that helped her stress the importance of marriage and fatherhood. The M is for Mother entry includes an illustration of a mother AND a father, along with the text: For nine months, mother and baby share a special bond.
Silva sought “instill God's truths and his design for our lives and for marriage.” She also wanted to push back against popular cultural narratives regarding gender. The letter G is for Gender: As early as 12 weeks, the baby’s gender can be seen on an ultrasound as a boy or girl.
Although ABC – Life in the Womb was written for ages 4-8, Silva said she has received positive feedback from adults who have learned from the book and from fellow homeschool parents who use it for various age groups. The book is also a valuable resource for pregnancy centers, churches, and Sunday school programs. Silva noted that Lifeline Pregnancy Care Center gives out her book in gift bags for moms that have chosen life.
J is for Journey: The journey the baby experiences in the womb is one of a kind. That also summarizes Silva’s journey and her mission—to teach children how babies grow and develop in their mother's womb. To teach them they are fearfully and wonderfully made.
“We are training up children,” she said. “We are teaching them at a young age that life does begin at conception and that there is value in life.”
ABC - Life in the Womb can be purchased at www.littlelifestages.com (40% of all proceeds go back to pro-life pregnancy centers and organizations).
