A Wish for You - Hardcover

In a series of pictures and a simple, rhyming text addressing a young child, his parents explain that before he was born, they were two individual people who met, had fun together, married, and explored the world “in a bright red canoe.” They wished for a child, prepared for his coming, and rushed to the hospital, where he was born. They played with the baby, bathed him, and took him out to see the world. Each line in the text rhymes with you (no mean feat) until the three final pages, which proclaim, “We’re not just two. / We’re three. / Yippee!” With just a few words on a typical double-page spread, much of the story is told in the lively illustrations, from full-page pictures to small panels. Though the palette is subdued, the digital artwork creates a freewheeling, cheerful look with plenty of engaging details. For parents reading to their children, this book will lead naturally into each family’s own stories. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Carolyn Phelan