Parental Love

March 25 – National Reading and March into Literacy Month

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About the Holiday

All month long, we celebrate reading—and writing! This focus on literacy spotlights the importance of reading with your children early—even from birth. Reading with your kids helps them develop language and writing skills that will promote future success in school and beyond. Even if your child isn’t talking yet, as you read to them they’re listening and learning about their language, how it sounds and looks on a page. The rich experience in today’s two board books, which combine reading, critical thinking, and fine motor skills, can get you and your little one started on a lifetime of learning. 

Ready for Mazes: Baby Animal Mazes

By Susann Hoffmann

 

Little ones can’t get enough of baby animals! They squeal in delight when they see tiny ducks, bunnies, and other small animals and just want to pet or be near them. Baby Animal Mazes gives the youngest readers a hands-on chance to help baby animals navigate winding paths while avoiding obstacles to find their family, play games, and complete other fun challenges.

Each visually rich and adorable puzzle introduces a baby animal with a sweet storyline involving family, friends, or a favorite treat. But there’s a catch! In each maze, important parts of the path are missing. Here’s where young readers can help the baby animal cross the two-page spread to their goal by finishing the path. To do this, three sturdy, round disks printed with a section of path (straight-away, intersection, or curve) are provided on the first page. These fit snugly into circles where the path is broken. Children will have fun finding the right piece and how it fits to complete the path. A range of difficulty—from one missing piece to three—offers a challenge and increasing confidence.

Little readers will be enchanted with Susann Hoffmann’s vibrant and charming images of wildlife that are just waiting to be named, counted, or found in an impromptu “I-spy” game. Textured pages keep little fingers on the paths and offer a sensory experience while reading.

With just the right amount of challenge for little ones, plenty of repeat play and readability, and a large, durable format, Baby Animal Mazes will be a favorite go-to book on any young child’s bookshelf. The book makes a perfect take-along activity and gift.

Ages 2+

Twirl, 2026 | ISBN 978-2408061951

Susann Hoffmann is a freelance illustrator and animator. Her work can be seen in various digital media, books, and film. She lives in Hamburg, Germany. Visit her at susannhoffmann.com.

You can purchase Ready for Mazes: Baby Animal Mazes from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Where Are You, Baby?

By Elena Selena

 

Sweet endearments, loving looks, and cuddly togetherness makes this interactive board book a perfect companion for snuggly story times with your baby or young child. “Where are you, little one?” mother and father animals ask, and children will love lifting the intricately cut lion, hedgehog, parrot and other flaps to discover the babies underneath. “Here I am!” they eagerly answer. Lifting the babies’ flaps in this well-designed book bring them close to mom or dad so they can have fun exploring, flying, and more together.

Elena Selena infuses her bold, colorful illustrations with all the heart of parenthood, drawing the eyes of both adult and baby animals so that they are always looking at each other with affection and, in many, outstretched arms are ready for hugs. 

Moms and dads will cherish sharing this book with their little ones. It’s sure to become a favorite for bedtime or playtime at home or for entertainment while out at the park, beach, or anywhere waiting is expected. Where Are You, Baby? would make a much-loved addition to home bookshelves as well as a gift for baby showers or new babies. 

Ages Baby – 4

Twirl, 2026 | ISBN 979-1027613892

Born in Lithuania, Elena Selena initially trained at the Vilnius Academy of Arts before discovering her talent for making pop-up books at the École Estienne (ESAIG) in Paris. She now splits her time between illustration and pop-up projects, and conducts pop-up workshops for children as well. She lives in Paris, France. Visit her at elenaselena.com.

You can purchase Where Are You, Baby? from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

 

 

February 4 – World Read Aloud Day

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About the Holiday

World Read Aloud Day, founded in 2010 by global non-profit LitWorld, encourages adults to read aloud to children not only today but every day. Reading aloud to children from birth is one of the best ways to promote language development, improve literacy, and enjoy bonding time together. Millions of people celebrate today’s holiday all across the United States and in more than one hundred countries around the world. Special events are held in schools, libraries, bookstores, homes, and communities, and authors and illustrators hold readings and visit classrooms in person and virtually. To learn more about World Read Aloud Day, visit LitWorld and check out their Activity Hub to find live events, virtual read alouds, downloadable bookmarks, posters, games, and more!

Thank you to Beach Lane Books and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book for review!

You and I Are Stars and Night

Written by Kate Hosford | Illustrated by Richard Jones

 

In a seaside village cloaked in slumber, a mother and child hear the call of the wind inviting them to abandon bath time and sail away to a whimsical island. Together, as one, they face and leave behind the day’s waves and “every tentacle and tail” that might hamper a peaceful sleep. The mother assures the child: “You and I are boat and sail.”

Illustration © 2026 by Richard Jones. Text © 2026 by Kate Hosford. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

On the island the sun is shining and the sea is calm. The pair enjoy a picnic lunch on a solitary dune. Afterwards, they swim, meeting baby mermaids then play in a colorful forest where a family of white tigers looks on and a dove delivers red caps to tiny gnomes. The two dart behind trees, and the mother chimes, “Where did you go? You were just here! / I closed my eyes and didn’t peek. / You and I are hide and seek.” 

Illustration © 2026 by Richard Jones. Text © 2026 by Kate Hosford. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

They fly over the island seeing a castle and a windmill high on a frozen rock. The mother challenges her child to “find the trail that leads below / to where the fisherwomen go. / Race me down the mountainside. / You and I are slip and slide.” Here, their sailboat is waiting, and as the child steers and the mother navigates, they make their way home again. Snuggled into bed, they read together before sailing into the world of dreams. The mother says, “I’ll wrap you up and hold you tight . . . / You and I are stars and night.”

Illustration © 2026 by Richard Jones. Text © 2026 by Kate Hosford. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

Whenever you cuddle up with your child, you feel it—that perfect fit created from love and understanding, and shared experiences, hopes, and dreams. In her moving story, Kate Hosford expresses this deep and unbreakable connection between mother and child using an easy-flowing rhyme scheme, innovative metaphorical settings, and familiar complementary words and phrases. Whimsy, the concrete, and hints of the future meld together in Hosford’s gorgeous storytelling that may bring a joyful tear to adult’s eyes while assuring children of how much they’re loved.

Richard Jones’ breathtaking acrylic and watercolor illustrations are soft and dreamlike, upending bath time when the tub becomes a sailboat and floats through an almost-invisible window on a wave that also carries a table, and the child’s clothes, shoes, and toys along on an adventure. Wispy dragons, toys come to life, frolicking wildlife, charming seaside scenes, and the comfort of home all combine to create a reading experience children and adults will want to visit again and again. Kids will especially like finding the child’s toys and other images reappearing among the pages. 

A touching and luminescent read aloud that will immediately become a favorite, You and I Are Stars and Night is a must for libraries and any home collection. The book would also make a much-loved gift.

Ages 4 – 8 

Beach Lane Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1665940382

Kate Hosford is the author of seven picture books and two poetry collections, garnering accolades such as being named an American Library Association Notable Book, a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. Her books have been published in eight languages. She is a graduate of Vermont College of Fine Arts where she earned her MFA in writing for children and young adults. Kate lives in Brooklyn with her family. Visit her at khosford.com.

Richard Jones has been living and working in Devon, England, for more than twenty years. He spent several years working in a busy children’s library, issuing and shelving other artists’ picture books before one day wondering if it wasn’t about time he had a proper go at creating one or two himself! Richard has written and illustrated many picture books, including Wondering Around by Meg Fleming, The Snow Lion by Jim Helmore, Quiet by Tom Percival, and You and I Are Stars and Night by Kate Hosford. Visit him at paintedmouse.com.

World Read Aloud Day Activity

You and I Are Stars and Night Activity Guide

 

Kids will have fun rhyming, drawing, using their imagination, and making friendship bracelets with this Activity Guide! You can download it from Kate Hosford’s website here!

You can purchase You and I Are Stars and Night from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

 

June 20 – Universal Father’s Week

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About the Holiday

Universal Father’s Week is celebrated during the third week of June each year. All week long we give a special tribute to all the fathers (and father figures) who work hard, are caring, lovable, and funny, keep us on our toes as well as the right path, and are just awesome dads. To celebrate, make sure the dads in your life know how much they’re loved and needed!

Thank you to Orchard Books for sharing a digital copy of this book with me for review!

You Make the World

Written by Mượn Thị Văn | Illustrated by Phùng Nguyên Quang and Huỳnh Kim Liên

 

As the story begins, a father and his young child share a drink from a single mug outside their simple campsite—a small tent and a lantern, but a roaring campfire ringed by stones. The child’s father reveals the poetry of nature, how “the sun makes the world hum. / The clouds make the world blue. / The wind makes the world wild. / The rain makes the world new.” He then tells his child a secret—“But you know what else makes the world? You.”

Illustration © 2025 by Phùng Nguyên Quang and Huỳnh Kim Liên, text © 2025 by Mượn Thị Văn. Courtesy of Orchard Books/Scholastic.

The child takes this in, a bit surprised. Dad explains how every “hello,” “smile,” or “hug” creates a ripple effect of joy and love and how acceptance will “make the world grow.” In fact, the child, the world, the entire universe are so entwined that the child’s emotions are felt by all. Not only their feelings, but their actions have consequence. “When you forgive, you make the world kind,” the father says. “When you try, you make the world brave.” But even deeper than these single actions or feelings, the father imparts, the child’s very presence “. . . here where you belong . . . make(s) the world whole.”

Mượn Thị Văn introduces her story with a letter to her readers, revealing that You Make the World was inspired by one of her previous books, Wishes.

Illustration © 2025 by Phùng Nguyên Quang and Huỳnh Kim Liên, text © 2025 by Mượn Thị Văn. Courtesy of Orchard Books/Scholastic.

Phùng Nguyên Quang and Huỳnh Kim Liên’s stunning, color-saturated illustrations carry the father and child as they leave their campsite on a transformative adventure with familiar animals and fantastical beasts. An enormous yak kneels to accept kindness from the child before rainbow-winged birds transport father and child on a flight over fields and streams. Hippos ride the waves with them as they kayak on a raging sea, and the father and child soar into the twilight sky holding the tip of a breaching blue whale’s fin. Along the way, readers will see the growing gathering of shadowed animals keeping watch. As the sun finally sets, the child fills a lantern with starlight before falling to sleep in their father’s arms.

You Make the World is a book that parents, grandparents, teachers, and other caregivers will want to share again and again and one that children will ask for often. The book is a must addition to any home or library collection. It would make a much-loved gift for any occasion, especially for babies and new siblings.

Ages 4 – 8

Orchard Books, 2025 | ISBN 978-1338822045

About the Author

Mượn Thị Văn is the author of many acclaimed picture books. From her debut, In a Village by the Sea (2015), to her latest, If You Want to Be a Butterfly (2023), her books have earned many distinctions, including a California Book Award, an Irma Black Honor, and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Her recent book Wishes, with Victo Ngai, won the Margaret Wise Brown Prize and was named the #1 Best Picture Book of 2021 by BookPage. Her books have been translated into multiple languages, including Vietnamese, Nepali, Sepedi, and Tamil. Mượn Thị Văn lives and works in California. Visit her at muonthivan.com.

About the Illustrators

Phùng Nguyên Quang and Huỳnh Kim Liên are book creators who live and work together in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Quang and Liên are currently working on illustrations for a number of children’s titles to be published in Vietnam and Europe. Some of their acclaimed picture book projects include Hundred Years of Happiness and The First Journey. Visit them at kaaillustration.com. You’ll also find Huỳnh Kim Liên at kimlienhuynh.com and Phùng Nguyên Quang at phungnguyenquang.com.

Universal Father’s Day Activity

You Make the World Activity Sheets

 

Interact with the world around you with these fun activity sheets proved by Scholastic!

You Make the World Dot-to-Dot and Word Search Pages

You can purchase You Make the World from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (discounted books and support for your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

March 4 – It’s National Reading Month

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About the Holiday

National Reading Month was designed to  encourage children and adults to read every day and celebrates the joys and benefits that reading together can bring. Reading with your child can be fun and frivolous, but it can also offer ways for children to share their feelings about serious or poignant topics and begin discussions that can lead to understanding or healing.  As the month progresses, look for books to share for all the aspects of your life. 

I’d like to thank Kokila Books/Penguin Random House for sharing a digital copy of Our Lake with me to review. 

Our Lake

By Angie Kang

 

A young boy follows his older brother up a “long and steep” hill to the tip of a boulder overlooking a glistening lake, where their father, now gone, used to take them swimming. He mimics his brother, who has taken on the mantel of responsibility, in their old traditions—taking off his shirt, stretching. But while his brother approaches the lip of the rock, he hangs back, watching him “press his arms tight to his head and slip neatly into the lake.” The water ripples, and then his brother shoots upward, “triumphant.”

Illustration and text © 2025 by Angie Kang. Courtesy of Kokila/Penguin Random House.

His brother calls for him to jump, but his nerves overtake him and he closes his eyes. “On the insides of my eyelids,” he says, “I see Father.” He recalls their routine, the way his father soared before splashing down, and the sound of his laugh as he beckoned his sons to follow.

“When I open my eyes, he joy is still there, humming in my limbs,” the boy says. He hears his brother call to him again and shakes off his fear. As he nears the water, he sees his father meet him, arms outstretched. His brother cheers as he splashes in. They embrace, both feeling the presence of the father they miss.

Illustration and text © 2025 by Angie Kang. Courtesy of Kokila/Penguin Random House.

Angie Kang’s lyrical storytelling soars on the openhearted voice of her young narrator and the caring guidance of his big brother. The boys’ uplifting memories of their father and their joyful embrace of returning to one of their favorite places are moving and comforting, and ultimately inspire reassurance that the spirit of loved ones lives on within the heart. 

Kang’s gloriously rich gouache, crayon, and colored pencil illustrations illuminate the close relationship between the brothers and, individually, with their father, as exemplified by a red hat the older brother is wearing as the story begins. Later, readers learn—in a symbolic image—that this hat belonged to the boys’ father. Each boy’s facial expressions and stances also carry the story forward. Kang’s saturated paintings also offer metaphorical undertones that resonate with the truth of life’s sometimes difficult climbs as well as the wonders of shaking off fear and diving into it headfirst.

A beautiful and poignant story to help any child affected by grief or loss to find peace and joy again, Our Lake is highly recommended for families and is a must for school and public library collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Kokila/Penguin Random House, 2025 | ISBN 978-0593698235

About the Author/Illustrator

Angie Kang is a Chinese American writer and illustrator living in LA. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Narrative, The Believer, and elsewhere, and has been generously supported by MacDowell and other organizations. Angie graduated from the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program with a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and a BA in Literary Arts from Brown University. She enjoys painting places she remembers and places she would like to go. Learn more about Angie’s writing and art at AngieKang.net and @anqiekanq on Instagram.

You can purchase Our Lake at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (to support your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

February 14 – Read to Your Child Day

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About the Holiday

Today’s holiday is one one of the best days of the year for kids and adults who love to read together. Reading to children has many benefits from helping with language development to instilling in children a love of books and learning to building bonds that last a lifetime. Today, as it happens, is also Valentine’s Day, and there’s no better way to say “I Love You” than by spending time together with a grrrreat book like today’s! For neat ideas on how to make the most of Read to Your Child Day, visit Days of the Year. 

Thanks to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for sharing a copy of Little Lion Girl with me!

Review by Dorothy Levine

Little Lion Girl

Written by Olivia Hope | Illustrated by Fiona Woodcock

It’s time to line up for a copy of Little Lion Girl, a vibrant tale of mother and daughter taking on the roaring city.

When Leonie spots the orange lights of the train coming to take her to the big city, she knows it’s time for an adventure. On the ride she notices unique characters around her and decides she too will meet the city with extravagance. With the help of a few accessories, Leonie cleverly transforms herself into a lion. When “the city roared like a jungle,” Leonie “roared back at the city. / She shook her mane and swished her tail. / She was lion girl.”

Illustration © 2025, Fiona Woodcook, text © 2025, Olivia Hope. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Lion girl spends the day stalking through bustling colorful streets, “through legs like trees between squawks, grunts, and shrieks” finding lions inside and out of a museum as she goes. In a cafe families sit in their “prides;” in the park she declares she is the king of the city.

All is going lion-tastically when a butterfly—a real wild thing—causes her to wander a bit further from her mother. Without her mama lion, the city jungle starts to feel bigger, and lion girl curls up in fear. Just as she starts to lose her roar, her mother calls to her, and they reunite with a hug and a purr.

Illustration © 2025, Fiona Woodcook, text © 2025, Olivia Hope. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Olivia Hope’s upbeat tale will excite wild children and their animal-loving hearts. From barking engines to city bustle grunts and shrieks, Hope’s story is jam-packed with animal-based vocabulary to set the scene. As Leonie and her mother explore the city, the reader’s confidence will grow along with lion girl as she explores the feelings that come with each step of her journey. A sweet story that inspires children to venture out with bravery, while also offering a gentle reminder that staying close to the pack is important too. Little Lion Girl shows kids that it’s okay to feel scared sometimes and to receive comfort from adults.

Fiona Woodcock’s illustrations light up the city in soft primary color hues. Leonie’s cat ears and scarf-tail form an exciting shadow of a real lion as she prowls through the streets. Woodcock illustrates a wonderfully diverse range of characters, including two train passengers dressed to resemble a zebra and giraffe—one of whom is spotted again later at the park. Leonie’s detailed facial expressions reflect her awe, excitement, fear and ultimately comfort when she snuggles up against her mom.

Little Lion Girl would make a lovely addition to home and library collections. It’s the perfect read-aloud to take with you on a train ride or to read while gearing up for an adventure!

Ages 3 – 6

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2025 | ISBN 978-1547616688

About the Author

Olivia Hope is an Irish writer with a special love for fiction about wild children. Before becoming an author, she was a teacher, creative arts facilitator and even an international athlete. She currently lives in the wilds of Southwest Ireland with her family.

About the Illustrator

Fiona Woodcock is an illustrator and picture book author. She studied Graphic Communication at Glasgow School of Art and for many years worked in animation. Her debut book Hiding Heidi was nominated for the 2017 Kate Greenaway award. Look was the winner of the AOI World Illustration Awards 2019, and A Dot In The Snow by Corrinne Averiss was selected as one of ‘The Times Children’s Books of the Year 2016’ and nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award 2018. Fiona lives in London.

Read to Your Child Day Activity

Image courtesy of Hello Wonderful

Paper Tube Lion

Kids can make and display this cute Paper Tube Lion from Hello Wonderful to remind themselves that they are as brave and confident as a lion.

You can purchase Little Lion Girl at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (to support your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

December 17 – National Say It Now Day

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celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-I'm-always-loving-you-cover

About the Holiday

This brand new holiday, established by National Day Calendar and Legacy+, a branding company, in honor of Walter Green, who was born on December 17 and on his 70th birthday decided to travel for a year to visit those who had been important to him and express his gratitude. For Walter, the result was a book—This is the Moment. For the rest of us, this holiday can inspire us to tell friends and loved ones how important they are and thanking them for all the ways they’ve impacted our lives.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for sharing a copy of I’m Always Loving You with me for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

I’m Always Loving You

Written by Kathy Wolff | Illustrated by Acamy Schleikorn

 

When you tell your child “I love you,” tousle their hair and say, “love ya, kiddo,” or kiss them on the forehead and whisper, “Goodnight, sweet love,” the “always” of that feeling is understood. But there are times when—struck by a memory, catching sight of a flash of playfulness, or even sharing a struggle over a task or disappointment—you feel an extra squeeze of love come over your heart.

Often these moments go unexpressed; but they shouldn’t! Inherent in times like these is spontaneity, shared experiences, and the details of life. Kids love details, and in I’m Always Loving You Kathy Wolff gives parents and other adults a heartwarming way to share the particulars of those times when their heart bursts with love—from the seemingly mundane to the extra-special. 

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-I'm-always-loving-you-rise-and-shine

Image copyright Acamy Schleikorn, 2024, text copyright Kathy Wolff, 2024. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Wolff begins as the day starts: “I love you when you rise and shine—awake as you can get!” but includes a bit of humor with the adult’s perspective on morning—”I love you when I haven’t even had my coffee yet!” She highlights times of frivolity at home while also reassuring kids that parents, grandparents, and other caregivers are always thinking about and loving them when they’re out in the world—in the car, at the park, at the store, and even “in the longest line we’ve ever seen before!”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-I'm-always-loving-you-when-helping

Image copyright Acamy Schleikorn, 2024, text copyright Kathy Wolff, 2024. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Children who are apprehensive about separation will find comfort in the words “I love you when you’re close to me, and also when you’re not, / and no matter what I’m doing, I sure think of you a lot!” Importantly, kids also hear that adults’ love extend to those times when their child is helping out around the house or doing chores, and—maybe more surprising—when the adult must tell them “no.”

Just as adults love their kids at the beginning of the day, as the day wanes a dad reveals, “I love you when we’re snuggled up all cozy with a book, / when you’re feeling kinda yawn-y and you’ve got that droopy look.” Through changing into pajamas, goodnight kisses, and turning out the light, love prevails, allowing children to sleep soundly and awake to another day full of love.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-I'm-always-loving-you-snuggling-wth-book

Image copyright Acamy Schleikorn, 2024, text copyright Kathy Wolff, 2024. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Kathy Wolff’s jaunty rhymes that encapsulate so many parts of a child’s and parents’ or caregivers’ day are a joy to read aloud and are sure to lead to fun discussions about specifics in the readers’ lives. Many of the examples Wolff includes are equally applicable for children to say to the adults or siblings in their lives, from getting up in the morning to sharing silly, busy, or quiet moments to when they are near or far away.

Acamy Schleikorn’s bright, active illustrations allow kids to clearly see and recognize experiences and places as well as emotions, such as happy, silly, and serious, that are part of their everyday lives, reinforcing the idea that no matter where, when, or what’s happening they are always loved.

A perfect and reassuring book to snuggle up with, bring out when times are a little more challenging, and talk about all the times your family feels that glow of love, I’m Always Loving You would be an often-asked-for book on home bookshelves and a meaningful addition to school and library collections.

Ages 3 – 6

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2024 | ISBN 978-1547614202

About the Author

Kathy Wolff lives in Overland Park, Kansas with her husband and her two funny kids. She attempts to balance writing, mom-ing, and greeting-card making . . . all while trying to remember not to forget anything. Visit Kathy at kathywolffbooks.com.

About the Illustrator

Acamy Schleikorn is an illustrator from Las Vegas. She began drawing at a very young age and was encouraged by her grandma to keep going. As an adult, she discovered the magical world of children’s books, and became passionate about creating stories that make a difference in a child’s life and reflect the diverse world that we live in. Anytime she creates art, she wants it to bring some kind of good into a world filled with a lot of hurt. She is inspired by her two children to create work that they will love, enjoy, and see themselves in. Visit Acamy at acamydesigns.com.

National Say It Now Day Activity

CPB - Heart Jar

Jar of Love

 

With this craft, kids can say “I love you” to parents, siblings, family members, friends, and anyone who fills their heart with joy by giving them a felt heart to express their feelings.

Supplies

  • A clear jar with a lid—you can up a jar from home, buy a mason jar, or find a decorative jar at a craft store
  • Red felt
  • Scissors

Directions

1. Cut red hearts from the felt and add them to the jar.

2. Whenever you feel that special burst of love toward someone, give them a heart to show it!

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-I'm-always-loving-you-cover

You can purchase I’m Always Loving You at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

May 23 – It’s National Family Month

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celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-since-the-baby-came-cover

About the Holiday

Observed during the five weeks between Mothers Day and Fathers Day, National Family Month was established by KidsPeace, a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping children and families since 1882. Leading into the school vacation season, the holiday encourages families to spend more time working, playing, talking, and just hanging out together. Today’s book highlights that exciting time when a family grows by welcoming a new baby—with a look through a new sibling’s eyes. 

Thanks to WaterBrook and Kathleen Long Bostrom for sharing a copy of Since the Baby Came with me for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

Since the Baby Came: A Sibling’s Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems

Written by Kathleen Long Bostrom | Illustrated by Janet Samuel

In this insightful, honest, funny, and heartwarming story, a little girl learns that she’s going to be a big sister during a breakfast of blueberry pancakes. To her left is her mama, who surprises her with the announcement, “‘We are having a baby!'” To her right is her daddy with the gift of a “Best Big Sister” T-shirt in hand. She seems dubious as she lets the syrup flow over her stack and onto the table because, she thinks, “Nobody asked me.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-since-the-baby-came-when-will-the-baby-go-away

Image copyright Janet Samuel, 2023, text copyright Kathleen Long Bostrom, 2023. Courtesy of WaterBrook.

In “Mama Is Having a Baby” the girl tries to navigate all the changes that are happening—from her mother’s lap growing smaller to all of her toys being pushed aside for the baby’s crib and necessities to how long it’s taking for the baby to come. She asks God to tell her what happened and to help her to wait. At last her baby brother does arrive, and in “He’s Here! He’s Here!” the little girl expresses her excitement at all the things they can now do together and is sure “We’ll be best friends, the two of us, / and never ever fight or fuss. / He’ll love me more than anyone! / To have him home will be such fun!”

But the reality is different than she imagined, and her emotions begin to ride a rollercoaster from attention-seeking in “Look at Me!” to feelings of neglect and frustration in “When Will This Baby Go Away?” to the horrors of diaper changes in “Diaper Volcano” to dismay about his “bad habits” in “Suppertime.” But then she prays to God. In “Dear God” she says, “Hi, dear God! Remember me? / I need a friend today. / When my thoughts are tangled up, / it helps a lot to pray.” She goes on to explain her mixed feelings about how her life has changed, her brother’s crying, her decreased room space, and how busy her mama is. But she also talks about how she likes to snuggle and sing a lullaby to the baby: “Something happens then dear God. / My heart fills to the brim! / It makes me feel so very glad / to sing my song to him.” She realizes that “with our little baby here, / I’ll never be alone!”

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Image copyright Janet Samuel, 2023, text copyright Kathleen Long Bostrom, 2023. Courtesy of WaterBrook.

With her change of heart, she looks on her brother with new eyes and heart as he sleeps, wondering what he dreams about; is excited when he smiles at her; and discovers in “Maybe” that his “wiggles and giggles” are as “cute as can be” and that “he is amazing.” Now, she decides that her brother can stay with them and that maybe she’d even be open to having “another new brother—perhaps two or three!”

As Christmas comes, the baby has learned to sit up, and the little girl is showing him the story of the baby Jesus, who “was a baby too. / Just like me and just like you.” Splashing in the bathtub together, all of the little girl’s reservations are gone and she can unequivocally state all the reasons why she loves her baby brother. Soon her brother is standing, and in “Me Too!” he reaches out to touch his sister’s finger, sharing a special bond and ability to communicate. The story ends with “Surprise (Part 2)” in which the girl learns that an earlier wish will be fulfilled while her now toddler brother appears dubious.

An explanation of the fifteen types of poetry used in the book follows the story.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-since-the-baby-came-i-love-my-baby-brother

Image copyright Janet Samuel, 2023, text copyright Kathleen Long Bostrom, 2023. Courtesy of WaterBrook.

With an empathetic and witty child’s-eye (and -heart) view of the upheaval, worries, acceptance, and joys of welcoming a new baby into the family, Kathleen Long Bostrom creates a tender story for parents to share with their child or children while waiting for the baby to come and through the stages and changes that come next. Bostrom’s use of realistic, child-centric language and dialogue makes the situations and feelings expressed in each poem immediately recognizable for kids and adults alike, allowing them to easily discuss these events and emotions together. Bostrom’s use of fifteen different types of poetry introduces young readers to the engaging variety and playfulness of this literary form.

Janet Samuel’s vibrant and animated illustrations clearly show the changing family dynamics as the household prepares for the baby and welcomes him home. Images of home, meals, a crowd of family and friends gathered around the baby, a diaper change, and even the idyllic view the little girl has of what life will be like when her baby brother comes home are lovingly and humorously portrayed while depicting real emotions and a touch of familiar chaos. Over the course of the poems, these scenes segue into a calmer routine as the baby begins to sleep, smile, and play; the house becomes orderly once again, and the little girl discovers she loves her brother.

In Since the Baby Came, the trajectory of Kathleen Long Bostrom’s poems and Janet Samuel’s illustrations work beautifully in tandem to create a moving portrait of a family growing in size and love. The book is one that families can dip into during each stage, from pregnancy to homecoming and through a baby’s first year of development, to help new siblings understand the many changes that come, to navigate their feelings, and to welcome their brother or sister into their heart. Since the Baby Came would make a much-appreciated gift and is highly recommended for home, church and school library, and public library collections.

Ages 3 – 7

WaterBrook, 2023 | ISBN 978-0593577684

About the Author

Kathleen Long Bostrom is an award-winning author of over fifty books for children. Her books are published in over twenty languages. She is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) who now writes full time. As a middle child, Kathy was both the new baby and the older sister who later became a mother of three herself. She knows whereof she rhymes! Visit her at kathleenlongbostrom.com.

About the Illustrator

Janet Samuel is an illustrator who lives in a small town in Wales with her daughter, Alice, and scruffy terrier, Tilly. Janet has illustrated books for many publishers, including Macmillan, Usbourne, Little Tiger Press, Scholastic, and Lion Hudson. She is happiest with a pencil or paintbrush in hand. You can connect with Janet on Instagram.

National Family Month Activity

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Since the Baby Came Parents Resource Guide

You can download this helpful resource guide from Kathleen Long Bostrom’s website. It gives parents age-appropriate tips on preparing a child for a new sibling as well as fun and colorful worksheets adults can share with their child to involve them in choosing a name for the baby; drawing a portrait and album pictures of the family, including the new baby; a “Wheel of Emotions” that provides kids with the vocabulary to describe their feelings; questions adults can ask their older child to begin a discussion; and a fun puzzle.

Videos to Share

You’ll also find two videos of a mom and little girl enjoying two of the poems from the book.

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