The Wonderful Things You Will Be

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From brave and bold to creative and clever, Emily Winfield Martin's rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children.With beautiful, lush illustrations and a stunning gatefold that opens at the end, this is a book that families will love reading over and over. Illustrations and simple, rhyming text reveal a parent's musings about what a child will become, knowing that the child's kindness, cleverness, and boldness will shine through no matter what, as will the love they share. In, The Wonderful Things You Will Be, the sky is the limit on the wonderful things that your child can be. Be imaginative together. Spend time reading this sweet book and talking about your hopes and dreams. Compliment your child on their many wonderful qualities and encourage them to be their very best self- they are one of a kind (Just like Tigger)! I am in huge danger of dehydrating after reading this. Is this one of the sweetest books ever or has becoming a mother turned me to mush? I just adored this.

Swim along with the pout-pout fish as he discovers that being glum and spreading "dreary wearies" isn't really his destiny. In addition, the writer loves collecting various vintage pretty things which are based in her small studio. Definitely, all these things are inspiration for this talented person, whose products people adore and want to have. Martin's rhyming text moves the narrative along with lyrical narration reminiscent of a poem or a lullaby. Although this book is an obvious choice for parents to read with their children, it can also work just as well in a story time program. The text is just a tad too long for a baby story time but I could see toddlers or school age children being drawn in by the bright colors and rhymes. It is arranged as a letter to the most important and beloved person in the world. And all of the lines are spotted with tiny and hidden reasons for love.

I loved this children’s book totally. The illustrations are lovely and have pastel and baby-like colors that are nostalgic that I feel would be quite attractive to a child. The text is rhythmic like a lullaby. And there is a harmony to both the text and the illustrations together. But what is most beautiful is the message of the book itself. It instills a positive attitude in children towards life by first getting them to ponder their birth as a special occasion and emphasizing the uniqueness of their individual selves and what they could bring about to the world while at the same time emphasizing a selfless attitude.

The wealth of possibilities contained within even the tiniest child is the subject of Martin's ( Day Dreamers) love letter from parent to offspring: "When you were too small/ To tell me hello,/ I knew you were someone/ I wanted to know." This potential can be seen in everything children do, from working in a garden ("Will you learn what it means/ To help things to grow?") to bandaging a toy bear. The book concludes with a double gatefold, drawn as a proscenium-style curtain, that reveals a group of eccentrically costumed children (a robot, a pencil, a log) to represent the idea of becoming " anybody/ That you'd like to be." Martin's characters generally exhibit a preternatural sense of self-possession, but this book's subject matter adds another layer of meaning to the poised poker faces on display. Her children are so serious (even when swinging on a swing) and so unflappable (even when tailoring a pair of pants for a squirrel) that they convey not just hope for the future, but a sense of manifest destiny. Publishers Weekly, Publishers Weekly From brave and bold to creative and clever, Emily Winfield Martin's rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. With beautiful, lush illustrations and a stunning gatefold that opens at the end, this is a book that families will love reading over and over. Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: We quit!This is the first time / There's ever been you, / So I wonder what wonderful things / You will do." A rhyming story of unconditional love with adorable illustrations of a toddler and a teddy bear who declare "I love you through and through!" His bed overflowing with cards, Blue sets out to deliver a yellow card with purple polka dots and a shiny purple heart to Hen, one with a shiny fuchsia heart to Pig, a big, shiny, red heart-shaped card to Horse, and so on. With each delivery there is an exchange of Beeps from Blue and the appropriate animal sounds from his friends, Blue’s Beeps always set in blue and the animal’s vocalization in a color that matches the card it receives. But as Blue heads home, his deliveries complete, his headlight eyes are sad and his front bumper droops ever so slightly. Blue is therefore surprised (but readers may not be) when he pulls into his garage to be greeted by all his friends with a shiny blue valentine just for him. In this, Blue’s seventh outing, it’s not just the sturdy protagonist that seems to be wilting. Schertle’s verse, usually reliable, stumbles more than once; stanzas such as “But Valentine’s Day / didn’t seem much fun / when he didn’t get cards / from anyone” will cause hitches during read-alouds. The illustrations, done by Joseph in the style of original series collaborator Jill McElmurry, are pleasant enough, but his compositions often feel stiff and forced. I love the way this book suggests possibilities of things to be and also states positive attributes (like kindness) that they know the child will display. It's a book that works on various levels and makes children think in a playful yet deep way.