The Wonderful Things You Will Be

byEmily Winfield Martin

Format:

EbookPicture Book

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"This is the first time
There's ever been you,
So I wonder what wonderful things
You will do."

In this timeless poem about growing up, Emily Windfield Martin explores all the things you can choose to be, from brave and bold to creative and wise.

Filled with beautiful, quirky illustrations and clever read-aloud rhyme, grown-ups will love reading this book to their children at any age, as they lovingly consider all the possibilities that lie ahead. Its enduring message of love and acceptance as children grow and change is both universal and poignant, and is one to share over and over again.
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 Weekly

About Emily Winfield Martin

Emily Winfield Martin spent a lot of time as a child wondering what she would grow up to be. She turned out to be lots of things: a painter, stitcher, cat tamer, and author and illustrator of books like Dream Animals and Day Dreamers. Emily lives among the giant fir trees of Portland, Oregon, where she wonders what other things she will be. Visit her online at emilywinfieldmartin.com.
Details
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • ISBN: 9780241446942
  • Length: 32 pages
  • Price: £8.99
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