The Children’s Book Review | May 21, 2016
The Wonderful Things You Will Be
Written and Illustrated by Emily Winfield Martin
Age Range: 3-7
Hardback Book: 36 pages
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books (2015)
ISBN: 978-0-385-37671-6
What to expect: Growing up, aspirations, professions
Every child is unique, and parents can’t wait to see what they will one day be!
Emily Winfield Martin’s delightful book dreams of what children will someday grow to be. Every child is different and completely unique. We follow beautifully illustrated children as they discover themselves. A girl might grow to be in a garage band or become an actress, while a sweet little boy could be a gardener with his friends. The next boy is a tailor for tiny animal friends, and the next girl is a toy doctor. And beyond that, we see that children are really more than just professions. Young girls and boys are shown being kind, clever and bold, loving and brave.
Perhaps the most beautiful image is of a girl standing beside a dark wood, being “brave and bright/so no shadows can stay.” Because there is more to being something in life than just a profession. At the end of the book, all of the children we have met along the way are showcased in an outstanding foldout page. Children are dressed as whatever they wish to someday be: ballerinas and bears and musicians and robots. There is no wrong answer, and that’s what is so great about this book. Childhood is a time of wonder.
This is a gorgeous book with warm and playful illustrations featuring a diverse set of children. Little ones will be drawn to the pictures, quickly pointing out which one matches what they themselves want to be. The surprise of a double foldout page at the end is a very exciting treat for children too, and my daughter wanted to look at it over and again. The prose is sweet and rhyming, drawing children in and lulling them (hopefully) to sleep before bedtime. A charming book that I highly recommend for young children.
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About Emily Winfield Martin
EMILY WINFIELD MARTIN sketches, paints, and stitches to create imaginary worlds and characters. She is the author/illustrator of The Black Apple’s Paper Doll Primer. Her store, The Black Apple, has been featured in national publications and on TV shows, including the New York Times and The Martha Stewart Show. Emily lives among the giant fir trees of Portland, Oregon, with her fellow adventurer, Josiah, and their cat Miette. Visit her online at Etsy.com/shop/theblackapple.
The Wonderful Things You Will Be, by Emily Winfield Martin, was reviewed by Denise Mealy. Discover more books like The Wonderful Things You Will Be by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Elephant Books and Ella the Elephant.
