Overview

This lyrical, heartfelt celebration of growing up presents a parent’s wishes for a new baby and all of the promise that lies ahead in the child’s life. This tender, lyrical picture book celebrates a parent’s wish for a new baby. There is so much opportunity and promise that lies ahead for the little one, from the places they’ll go, to the smiles they’ll share, to the songs that their heart will sing, and so much more. Beauty and adventure in the world are waiting for the child; and no matter how small he or she may be, the possibilities that lie ahead are endless. Perfect for sharing with a special little one at story time, and an ideal gift for any new parent.

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9781664300132

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Reviews

A narrator rhapsodizes about a little one’s potential future. Beginning with the bookplate (“Hopes and dreams for: ____”), this title has a retro, Golden Books feel. Throughout, colorful artwork captures eye and heart. Smiling people of different ages, abilities, and ethnicities abound in varied settings that include images linked with happiness: musical notes, flowers, birds, sunny beach days, yellow slickers in gentle rain, and fireworks. The text is an adult’s address to a precious baby, beginning with the wonder of holding such a tiny being. “In this body so warm and new, / you hold a history yet to happen.” As Evans mentions different parts of the baby’s body (“These legs / will scramble over / mountains”), the verse vacillates between describing certainties ahead—such as acquiring memories and encountering obstacles—and giving words of encouragement and advice (“I hope you’ll / sink your toes into sand, leaving footprints in those / beads of sunshine”). ASL gestures are included on the page about hands. Though this one is ostensibly aimed at new babies and their caregivers, the most receptive audience will be sleepy small children, read to by grandparents or other family members while the parents busy themselves with the newest member. (Picture book. 3-5) --Kirkus Reviews In Evans’s heartfelt poem of possibility, a parent imagines what the future may hold for the “small slip of a creature./ Barely the length of my forearm” they are cradling. Focusing page by page on fingers, legs, knees, feet, arms, hair, eyes, ears, mouth, and other physical attributes, the adult narrator catalogs a range of hoped-for experiences that each may represent: “These feet will root/ you to the places/ you’ll call/ home./ I hope you’ll/ sink your toes into sand,/ leaving footprints.” Griffiths’s breezy, bucolic illustrations depict children of varying abilities and skin tones wading, watching fireworks, climbing trees, and smelling flowers, creating a dreamlike mood that centers a caretaker’s hopes and desires. Ages 3–7. --Publishers Weekly

Author Information

Harriet Evans works in children's publishing and spends her days researching cool animal facts, imagining awesome adventures, and drinking copious amounts of tea. Heidi Griffiths works at her home studio in the countryside of Kent in the UK. She studied graphic design at the Kent Institute of Art & Design, and went on to work at a London fashion house before following her dream of becoming a picture book illustrator. Heidi uses a combination of digital and traditional media, such as crayons, pencils, and collage, to create beautiful textures. She’s inspired by joyful things, like the games her children play, a walk in the woods, and memories of her childhood. Heidi has a pet tortoise named George and a dog named Buddy who are the best of friends.

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