ONE DAY

A mother marvels at her young son.

With dark flowing hair and deep complexion, the mother lovingly cradles her sleeping baby (both are Asian-presenting). Observing the infant’s hair, she notices it “feels like / dandelion fluff against my fingers.” She hopes that the same hair will “tumble across your head” while he embarks on adventures one day. We see the little one a few years older now, wearing a pair of wings and leading a boat through foam-crested waves. Next, readers again see the smiling infant as the mother observes how his tiny feet “feel like warm rolls / wrapped in the palms of my hands.” The next scene depicts the boy as a toddler tentatively testing the waters on a beach as the mother advises him to “Take your time, sweet boy. / Your courage will be born through fear.” In another scene, the mother tells the hiking boy to “break through vines that bind old growth” and to remember “Your heart is a compass.” Brimming with parental affection and whimsy, the narrative continues in the same vein. The mother’s gentle observations of the boy’s different traits are followed by her hopes and dreams for his future. Pray fills every inch with soft textures and colorful prints, creating stunning images that match the text’s warmth. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An affirming and enchanting love letter from parent to child.