Books about Biology of the Genome
“Decoding Plant Genomes”
My new book, “Decoding Plant Genomes,” is an illustrated story about scientists who are decoding and editing plant genomes to withstand the climate crisis.
Artist, the hero in the story, narrates my experience at Cold Spring Harbor Lab (CSHL) as the Wally Gilbert Artist-in-Residence. I received the award for my proposal to interview the CSHL plant biologists and write this book about their research.
Who’s the book for? As the first generation to have our genomic data, we’re all students—young and young-at-heart—learning together. So, I wrote the text at two levels: a picturebook-style story for ages 3 to 7 and explanations of the science for the rest of us.
A unique design: The book’s coil binding allows the left and right pages to open together and lay flat, letting the words and illustrations play across the pages.
On the left is the voice of Artist asking questions about plants and climate change. On the right are answers from the scientists explaining fundamental concepts and current scientific research.
Buy it here! “Decoding Plant Genomes” is available in my online store, where you can see more illustrations and meet the scientists engineering plant genomes to adapt to the raging climate.
“Skin We Are In”
“Skin We Are In” tells the story of the evolution of human skin color through the voices of six curious children and one thoughtful uncle. It celebrates the “glorious human rainbow” as an illustrated story with explanations of the science.
The book is a collaboration of South African writer Sindiwe Magona, American anthropologist Dr. Nina Jablonski, and me. Nina initiated the project and wrote the science text, Sindiwe wrote the story, and I illustrated the book.
The book is printed by South African publisher David Philip Books in eleven African languages. Please visit my online store, where you can purchase the English version.
“We Want Our Genome Story”
Are you science-curious? Would you like to learn about DNA while you color? Let your inner artist and scientist shine with the “We Want Our Genome Story” coloring book.” You can use pencils, pastels, markers, and watercolors on the high-quality, heavy-weight pages of the book.
You can read part of the story and see more illustrations in my online store, where you can also buy the book.
Whether young or young at heart, the science of our magnificent genome is a story for humans at any age. After all, as the first generation to have our data, we’re all students—young and not so much—learning together.