The Wonderful Things You Will Be

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Swim along with the pout-pout fish as he discovers that being glum and spreading "dreary wearies" isn't really his destiny. From brave and bold to creative and clever, the rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. With beautiful, and sometimes humorous, illustrations, this is a book grown-ups will love reading over and over to kids—both young and old. A great gift for any occasion, but a special stand-out for baby showers, birthdays, and graduation. The Wonderful Things You Will Behas a loving and truthful message that will endure for lifetimes. Her children are so serious... and so unflappable... that they convey not just hope for the future, but a sense of manifest destiny." -- Publishers Weekly starred review Sweet but not saccharine and singsong but not forced, Martin's text is one that will invite rereadings as it affirms parental wishes for children while admirably keeping child readers at its heart.” I read it as an adult interested in the craft of illustrating children’s books, but I got something rather precious from reading it myself. As I got to think about how parents raise their children and have all sorts of anticipations for their futures and caring for them to grow older and prosper, I thought of divine providence on the other hand. Though this idea is not presented at all in the book in any direct or indirect way, but I thought it’s nice to receive this sentiment from a children’s book.

Emily is a unique girl, and all her works reflect her talents. In fact, her natural environment among high fir trees in Portland allows her to create lots of outstanding things in the fiction genre such as pictures, poems, and novels. That’s how The Wonderful Things You Will Be appeared.

A hilarious picture book about dealing with unexplained feelings…and the danger in suppressing them! Sweet but not saccharine and singsong but not forced, Martin's text is one that will invite rereadings as it affirms parental wishes for children while admirably keeping child readers at its heart." The book has its own individuality, thanks to the talents of the author. Emily is not just an ordinary writer, but she’s a poet and an artist who creates adorable illustrations for her poems. All the characters and drawings are made in the same style and manner, and they do not repeat but yet all are colorful and beautiful. Sweet but not saccharine and singsong but not forced, Martin’s text is one that will invite rereadings as it affirms parental wishes for children while admirably keeping child readers at its heart.” What is such a simple concept and a thought that comes into every parent's mind, Emily Winfield Martin has turned into a celebration of children's natures and personalities. It is about becoming a parent and that amazing, intense and all-consuming love a parent feels for their child. It makes you wonder about the possibilities and really celebrate that unique unconditional love that you feel towards this little tiny human that has come into your life. I love to wonder what my children will be like as they grow; every parent does!

From brave and bold to creative and clever, Emily Winfield Martin's rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. With beautiful, lush illustrations and a stunning gatefold that opens at the end, this is a book that families will love reading over and over. I am in huge danger of dehydrating after reading this. Is this one of the sweetest books ever or has becoming a mother turned me to mush? I just adored this. The wealth of possibilities contained within even the tiniest child is the subject of Martin's ( Day Dreamers) love letter from parent to offspring: "When you were too small/ To tell me hello,/ I knew you were someone/ I wanted to know." This potential can be seen in everything children do, from working in a garden ("Will you learn what it means/ To help things to grow?") to bandaging a toy bear. The book concludes with a double gatefold, drawn as a proscenium-style curtain, that reveals a group of eccentrically costumed children (a robot, a pencil, a log) to represent the idea of becoming " anybody/ That you'd like to be." Martin's characters generally exhibit a preternatural sense of self-possession, but this book's subject matter adds another layer of meaning to the poised poker faces on display. Her children are so serious (even when swinging on a swing) and so unflappable (even when tailoring a pair of pants for a squirrel) that they convey not just hope for the future, but a sense of manifest destiny. Publishers Weekly, Publishers WeeklyHis bed overflowing with cards, Blue sets out to deliver a yellow card with purple polka dots and a shiny purple heart to Hen, one with a shiny fuchsia heart to Pig, a big, shiny, red heart-shaped card to Horse, and so on. With each delivery there is an exchange of Beeps from Blue and the appropriate animal sounds from his friends, Blue’s Beeps always set in blue and the animal’s vocalization in a color that matches the card it receives. But as Blue heads home, his deliveries complete, his headlight eyes are sad and his front bumper droops ever so slightly. Blue is therefore surprised (but readers may not be) when he pulls into his garage to be greeted by all his friends with a shiny blue valentine just for him. In this, Blue’s seventh outing, it’s not just the sturdy protagonist that seems to be wilting. Schertle’s verse, usually reliable, stumbles more than once; stanzas such as “But Valentine’s Day / didn’t seem much fun / when he didn’t get cards / from anyone” will cause hitches during read-alouds. The illustrations, done by Joseph in the style of original series collaborator Jill McElmurry, are pleasant enough, but his compositions often feel stiff and forced. From brave and bold to creative and clever, Emily Winfield Martin’s rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. I stared at this book for several weeks because it was placed next to my hanging clothes bouquet and changing table. It is arranged as a letter to the most important and beloved person in the world. And all of the lines are spotted with tiny and hidden reasons for love.