On the night you were born,
the moon smiled with such wonder
that the stars peeked in to see you
and the night wind whispered.
“Life will never be the same.”
On the night you were born, the whole world came alive with thanksgiving. The moon stayed up till morning. The geese flew home to celebrate. Polar bears danced.
On the night you were born you brought wonder and magic to the world. Here is a book that celebrates you. It is meant to be carried wherever life takes you, over all the roads, through all the years.
This debut picture book by Nancy Tillman has touched the hearts of readers of all ages, from the youngest readers, to new mothers, to grandparents. A New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling book, On the Night You Were Born is sure to be a beloved addition to family libraries.
The moon, wind, rain, and a variety of animals celebrate the special occasion that is the birth of a child.
A beautiful and poignant celebration of the birth—and worth—of every child.
On the night you were born,
the moon smiled with such wonder
that the stars peeked in to see you
and the night wind whispered.
“Life will never be the same.”
Because there had never been anyone like you . . . ever in the world.
NANCY TILLMAN is the author and illustrator of the best-selling picture book On the Night You Were Born, its companion baby journal The Wonder of You: A Book to Celebrate Baby’s First Year, and the illustrator of It’s Time to Sleep, My Love, written by Eric Metaxas. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Nancy Tillman lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two children, where she creates books with the purpose of showing children from a young age they are "the one and only ever you."
The birth of a babyâ€""the one and only ever you"â€"causes jubilation throughout creation in this quietly celebratory picture book from newcomer Tillman. Polar bears dance, giraffes weave to the sound of brass horns, and "the moon smiled with such wonder/ that the stars peeked in to see you/ and the night wind whispered,/ 'Life will never be the same.' " Tillman successfully sidesteps the soft-focus sappiness that can accompany this genre. Her writing has the authenticity of whispered conversation; occasionally, she pauses in her exaltations of the baby to address the subject directly: "I think I'll count to three so you can wiggle your toes for me." Her strong, assured paintings truly set this book apart. The pictures subtly radiate golden glints of moonlight, and her almost sculptural rendering style gives her characters a hefty physicality that counterbalances the ethereal sentiments being expressed. Although one suspects that grown-ups will be most taken with the topic and treatment, this is one of those rare baby books that should make both skeptics and sentimentalists of all ages happy. All ages. (Oct.)
[Page 57]. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
K-Gr 2— Rhyming text extols and celebrates the uniqueness of a newborn. "Because there had never been anyone like you…ever in the world." As the news of the birth travels, creatures around the world celebrate. "When the polar bears heard, they danced until dawn." "…the geese flew home." "Heaven blew every trumpet…." The text sits on white pages opposite large, richly colored illustrations. The moon appears in all of the paintings—as reassuring as the text's sentiment. Golden musical notes float across the sky as white polar bears dance and giraffes sway to the sounds of the moon's saxophone. The dark blue night skies make a beautiful and dramatic setting for this special night. The painterly art and poetic quality of the text make this an attractive book. Parents and grandparents are most likely to appreciate it, but they will undoubtedly want to share it with a child.—Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
[Page 186]. Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
