ON THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU TURN ONE

Few milestones are as emotional as a child’s first birthday.

A parent cuddling an infant lovingly marvels at how quickly time passes: “On the night before you turn One, / I will kiss your little nose. / And spend a minute wondering / About time and where it goes.” The narrator recognizes what a moving occurrence this will be: “I’ll try my best to be strong.” The pair will still do all their favorite activities: They’ll snuggle in their chair and sing a song, and the parent promises to stay with the child long into the night. Our narrator is excited about the future, when the little one will “explore a world that’s new.” And the child isn’t the only one who’s changing: “I’ll whisper in your ear / All the ways we both have grown / Through this, your very first year.” Told in gentle verse, this sweet, contemplative tale is aimed more at parents than youngsters. It captures the dueling emotions that many caregivers experience—pride at seeing their little ones mature, mingled with wistfulness for those early days. The illustrations, created with a warm, muted palette, depict vignettes of a brown-skinned parent and child, charting the little one’s growth from a tiny baby to a toddler taking first steps and helping out in the kitchen.

An ideal baby shower or first birthday gift—though this one’s definitely meant for the parents.