If I Could Keep You Little...

by Marianne Richmond

Overview

A mother dreams about keeping her child young, but realizes that she would miss important milestones in her child's life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781934082928
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	08/01/2010
Series:	Marianne Richmond
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	263,384
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.33(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Beloved author and illustrator MARIANNE RICHMOND has touched the lives of millions for nearly two decades through her award winning books, greeting cards, and other gift products that offer people the most heartfelt way to connect with each other. She lives in the Nashville area. Visit www.mariannerichmond.com.

Editorial Reviews

"This charming story will help both parents and young children accept and embrace the changes in their evolving relationship." — Eco’s Child Play

"While I'm sure the book is meant for children, I personally think it would make a wonderful gift for any mom - whether their children are growing or already grown." — Motherhood Later...Than Sooner

"If I Could Keep You Little by Marianne Richmond is a book that understands a parent's desire to have it both ways. While we long to keep our children babies that need us, we also want need to let them go, just a little bit at a time." — New Age Mama

"Celebrate life, growth and the bond you share with If I Could Keep You Little by Marianne Richmond. Be sure to have tissues handy." — Working Mother

"If I Could Keep You Little is not only a book for children, but a great book for adults as well." — One Momma Saving Money

"This book truly celebrated the beauty of watching a child blossom and become independent while addressing the complex emotions that I feel as a parent when I need to let them go." — Simply Stacie

"A touching truthful story of how we as parents want our little ones to stay little, but if they did, we’d never get to experience all the other wonderful parts of childhood." — Marvelous Mom Reviews

"I absolutely love this book, and recommend it to anyone that’s a parent." — Staying Me

"Marianne Richmond has captured the bittersweet moments of watching our children grow up, while wistfully recalling all the fleeting little moments that have already passed." — The Fashionable Bambino

"While I desperately want to keep my children little, I also know that I don’t want to miss out on the next step. If I Could Keep You Little… sums up just about every parent’s heart cry." — Empowering Mommy

"It is such a neat reminder of the fleeting moments that really matter… and of the beauty of childhood and who these little people are becoming." — She Saved

"If I Could Keep You Little is a beautiful book that appeals to every age. I enjoy reading it as much as my children and while, I'm able to hold back the tears now when we read it, I can't deny its message still tugs at my heart strings!" — Mommy’s Memorandum

"A story of all the changes that kids go through and all the milestones." — My 5 Monkeys

"This book spoke to my heart and I could relate." — Mom State of Mind

"Marianne is quite amazing how she is able to capture all our feelings and put it into a book with her wonderful artwork. Her book is worth reading over and over again." — Baby Brandon’s Adventures

"It definitely talks to your heart! This would be a great holiday gift to any child." — Bzzing Mom

"It really speaks to you as a parent and the entire range of emotions you feel with raising children. But I love that it is done in such a way that children enjoy it." — Yellow Tennessee

"A really sweet book and beautifully illustrated that lets the parent know all the things he/she would be missing if their child stayed small." — Mommy Esquire Diaries

"I'm not sure who liked this book better, me or the kids. The kids love the glimpse into their future and I love remembering all the little things they did as babies." — A Little of This and A Little of That

"Every single word and feeling Marianne expresses in her book is somehow the same words and feelings that sometimes inundate my mind and heart." — From PDX With Love

"A feel-good book to share with loved ones on those cold and windy afternoons, snuggled in a big comfy chair — or relished at bed time by parents reading prose from the beautifully illustrated pages as their son or daughter immerses themselves in the wonderful pictures of the children progressing into little-big people." — BC Books

"If I Could Keep You Little successfully captures those fleeting moments when a mother or father reflect on the times when their children were growing up, having to keep them safe and warm — just before they tuck them in for bed, never neglecting to check the closets and under the bed for all things that may go bump in the night." — AIDYs Poetry Blog

"A book that truly comes highly recommended." — Seattle PI

"This is a wonderful book that I think every family needs in their home library." — Girlfriends Get Real

"It's a beautiful reminder of what it's like to love a child." — Readaholic

"Every parent can relate to the emotions filled in this book." — Upside to Rainny Days

"Written for kids, its rhyming prose captures the essence of motherhood for sure. The text is written to your child as you read to them, but it really spoke to my heart as a mom too." — Mama Buzz

"A tender, touching story for parents and children to share together." — In the Pages

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 2—Moms and Dads express how much they enjoy their young children in this rhyming book. But, on the other hand, the parents would miss so much of the joy in watching them grow up if they did stay small. "If I could keep you little,/I'd decide on matching clothes./But then I'd miss you choosing/dots on top and stripes below..../If I could keep you little,/I'd tell you stories every night./But then I'd miss you reading the words you've learned by sight." And so it goes, as the adults eventually have to let go so that their youngsters can grow into the people they were meant to be. Richmond's ink and watercolor illustrations portray a multicultural cast of parents experiencing the same sense of joy and loss. This is an average tale, and the rhyme is forced at times, but it's suitable for one-on-one sharing.—Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA

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