The Wonderful Things You Will Be

I bought this book for 2 babies who had been in foster care since a few months old, having been removed from a very neglected, violent home. They were going off to their new adoptive parents and I know I'll never see them again, so this seemed really appropriate. Beautiful words and fun, colourful pictures. Inspiring and full of hope for the future

There are a great many positive, self-affirming messages in this beautiful book for youngsters to soak in - nice little antidote against some of the other messages out there that children are exposed to! Sometimes, I feel a little fearful when I think of how children can't help but be exposed to the negative influences in the world at much younger ages than ever before, no matter how much we try to protect them. At the same time, there are so many BEAUTIFUL and good influences in the world as well, like this book, and I truly believe that keeping a steady diet of healthy, positive "mind food" going into a youngster's brain can go a long way in equipping them to counteract the junk that creeps in from time to time. This precious book is such a great tool to help them begin... soft illustrations complementing simple words, a book that encourages a youngster to use his/her imagination and think of all of the possibilities in answering the age old question adults pose to them, "So... what do you want to be when you grow up?" There are SO many things I like about it. Many of the children's books we've accumulated over the years for our grandchildren go into possible occupations - but life is so much more than occupations, isn't it? "Who" you become is so much more than that, and the pages reflect that sentiment with deeper questions, one of my favorites being, "Will you tell a story that only you know?" You'll find that so many of the pages contain encouraging and supportive statements of belief in a child's capabilities, i.e. "I know you'll be..." (kind/clever/bold/brave/bright), with the last page assuring him/her "And I'll love you, whoever you've grown up to be." I really believe books like this can be so instrumental in promoting a good self-image, as a child's rapidly developing mind soaks in positive messages. Think youngsters will especially enjoy a 2-page spread toward the back that has flaps opening up into a full 4-page spread, with children dressed in various Halloweenish-looking costumes (isn't that what they're actually doing while they're tricking-or-treating... an early testing out imaginative possibilities?), and the diversity of the children depicted is a nice plus. I doubt there's a parent or grandparent out there who hasn't gazed at the face of a newborn cradled in their arms and not dreamed of "the wonderful things you will be"? At our Christmas gathering this year, it was so terrific for my husband and I to look at all of those beautiful little faces and think about the wonderful things they will all be! This was one of the gifts for our 2+ year old grandson, but I know his two older brothers will enjoy it as well, along with his baby sister one day.

This is a lovely children's book with pretty illustrations and a great message for children. I got it for a friend's baby shower who asked for books for their soon to be daughter. I think this will be a sweet book they will appreciate. I got the hard cover and it arrived in great condition. It does have a book jacket that is a little flimsy and I fear will end up lost or tattered eventually and the hard cover doesnt match the book jacket. So that's my only disappointment. Still a 5 star purchase!

Reading books to my children is my absolute favorite part of our day. Every evening and most rainy days, my two youngest children and I cuddle up on the couch and together we read stories. Our collection is ever growing and I am always delighted to find a book that I am genuinely excited to add to our shelf. Their current ages are three and five so we spend a great deal of time enjoying picture books. We received our copy of “The Wonderful Things You Will Be” by Emily Winfield Martin as a birthday gift. This quickly became our favorite picture book and here is why…. Illustrations: Before even beginning the story, I fell in love with the whimsical illustrations. The pictures are so unique, soft, precious and warm. I found myself so captivated by the magical images on each page that I paused long after the words were read to absorb the beauty and detail. The children in the story are drawn with such care and each one is so individual and incredible. It’s almost too wonderful to keep on the bookshelf and deserves to be framed and hung on the wall. Originality: As I said before, we spend a significant amount of time reading in our family and it’s always a treat to find something completely new and original to add to our collection. Emily Winfield Martin has blessed us with just that. “The Wonderful Things You Will Be” stands out in a category of its own by combining outstanding, one of a kind artistic beauty with an encouraging and heartwarming message. There isn’t another book on our shelf that compares. Her style is truly her own and greets readers with an individual experience they will want to reread over and over again. Message: The message of the tale is in the voice of a parent to their child. It starts with the parent wondering aloud about who their young child will grow up to be. From the very beginning, it portrays a strong message that, as a parent, they are certain that their child is someone they want to know. Other children’s books do a great job of reassuring love between a parent and child but this adds another beautiful element to that message. Not only does it affirm that the parent will love the child, whoever they grow up to be, but it puts a great deal of excitement on all of the possible ways they can become their very own person. It encourages adventure, taking care of others, individuality, wholesome character traits and creativity. It says to go be everything you were created to be and I will love you with wonder and admiration. What a powerful and uplifting message to children of any age. Heck, what a powerful message for adults! Story Flow: When reading aloud, it is always enjoyable to be able to read a story with a steady, easy to follow flow. This story is laid out in a comfortable progression of rhyming phrases without being sing-songy. Each page contains a s...

Great for all ages! My 3.5mo loves it when I read "The Wonderful Things You Will Be" to him! From cover to cover, this story is amazing and the artwork is beautiful! Highly recommended!