FOR YOU

Two siblings show appreciation for their parents as they grow into adulthood.

“We would do anything for you….Because you do anything for the two of us,” the children explain. Peppering their Asian-presenting father and Black-presenting mother with smooches, they “would weave a boundless blanket of kisses with threads of joy.” As the parents worry over finances, the children exclaim they “would magically solve all of [their] problems.” Likewise, their parents’ “smiles light up the way for [them]” as they leave the nest, and they are there to catch their children should they fall. With each spread, the family grows older. And with each up and down that life and age bring, parents and children comfort and care for one another. The cycle of love joyfully continues with the next (multiracial) generation. Millán’s colorful and movement-filled illustrations add whimsy to the sentiment. Merlán’s text is short and occasionally metaphorical, and the illustrations provide grounded examples. Cheeky humor also lies in the artwork: A spread depicting the children drawing all over the walls accompanies their assertion that they “would masterfully draw the path that leads to the stars”; in another, the parents take cover as the children gleefully splatter the vegetables they promise to “eat…without grumbling.” Written as an address from child to parent, this celebratory and reassuring offering may find a home on the shelf as a family read. This Spanish import publishes simultaneously with the U.S. edition of the original version.

A short and sweet ode to parenthood and family.