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BECAUSE I ALREADY LOVED YOU

Name: BECAUSE I ALREADY LOVED YOU
Author: Andrée-Anne Cyr
ISBN: 9781773069739

by Andrée-Anne Cyr ; illustrated by Bérengère Delaporte ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2023

Quiet and sincere.

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A family supports one another as they grieve the loss of a stillborn baby.

A young only child eagerly awaits the arrival of a new baby. Each family member helps the little one mentally and emotionally prepare, from decorating the nursery with Daddy to picking out books with Auntie and toys with Grandma. But on the day Mommy and Daddy are supposed to bring the baby home, everything changes. The baby is stillborn, and everyone is devastated. The child is sad, too, “because I already loved you!” Little by little, the family grieves and begins the process of healing, but they never forget the baby. Translated from French and written from an unnamed youngster’s perspective, the succinct text clearly and honestly conveys both emotions and information in a child-friendly way. Family members assure the narrator that while death is forever, stillbirth is rare, and “it’s no one’s fault, especially not mine.” The childlike illustrations convey emotions with crayonlike lines and textures. White space directs the eye, encouraging readers to linger. There are few books on the topic of pregnancy loss and even fewer about grieving for a stillborn baby, making this tale an important entry point for deeper discussion. The work closes with a list of U.S. and Canadian organizations that offer support for those dealing with stillbirth. Characters are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Quiet and sincere. (Picture book. 2-6)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023

ISBN: 9781773069739

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Groundwood

Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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LOVE FROM THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

by Eric Carle ; illustrated by Eric Carle ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 15, 2015

Safe to creep on by.

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Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.

In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.

Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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edited by Eric Carle

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edited by Eric Carle

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by Eric Carle ; illustrated by Eric Carle

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)