Love books, I love to read... sadly I have so little time to read anything other than things related to homeschooling - but it still provides me with joy. Along with my love of books is my passion for children's books, especially the kind that have wonderful illustrations and a story or message that is captivating to the reader - the kind that are timeless and will never lose their magic no matter how many years transpire before the cover is opened again, whether it be 2 yrs or 32 yrs.
Today was a good day... sunny, productive, positive. I was also looking forward to the fact that it would be the first weekend that Mike and I would be able to have the weekend alone to spend with just our own children (the first since late spring) due to the much anticipated first visit alone my nephews and niece were to have with their mother (my sister)... they were bubbling with excitement and counting down the days until Friday. Sadly, this all came to a screeching halt late this afternoon when I received a phone call which cancelled these plans for all of us due to reasons I won't expand upon, that needless to say, left me quite angry...no livid, with my sister.
After breaking this news to my nephews, we had to head off to MJ's school bookfair/family fun night. Since we all love books I thought this might be a good thing to lift our mood. While we were scanning the rows of tables filled with absolute "twaddle" I found one educational book that I liked for a bargain price about historical princesses and their lives. Soon enough everyone was ready to hit the playground - so I was left to stand in the checkout line. While waiting, a small book, nearly buried with only the corner sticking out from under a stack of books caught my eye. The last of it's kind, the title read "Someday". I was intrigued, so I read it as I waited in line. I knew after the first page that I was hooked and this was to surely be purchased because it touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes with a message that penetrated one's mind strong and clear.
Tonight after a sort of crumby night for us all (icky supper due to new recipe being a failure, tons of homework for Justin, bickering, ill Christopher, crabby mom, tired Ruby, the list goes on...) I pulled the book out before bedtime and read it out loud. The children understood it's message completely and it touched them as it had me - they understood immediately why I purchased it (and not the many books they had asked me to buy). They knew what I was communicating to them through the writer's words in the book.
Yet another reminder from God... yet again on the temporariness of childhood. He seems to beat me over the head with this message I think, and for good reason :-)
Below is a review of the book to give you a glimpse into it's simple beauty. I plan to read this to my children often so that the words are firmly fixed in their memory to recall someday when they are grown. It's the message of every parent's heart & hopes. Read it the next time you're in a bookstore, you won't be sorry.
Novel Review: Someday by Alison McGhee
Written by Gina Ruiz
Someday tells the beautiful story of a mother and her baby daughter in eloquent but spare prose accompanied by simple, yet powerful illustrations.
The book is very sweet and moving. It tells the story of a mother and her baby daughter from babyhood to childhood. "One day I counted your fingers and kissed each one," the mother says. Moving on to present day brings the declaration, "Then, you were my baby, and now you are my child," then, finally imagining the future of the child, a bittersweet send-off: "Someday I will stand on this porch and watch your arms waving to me until I no longer see you."
Someday is very touching and almost made me cry thinking of my own children and how they’re grown now with families of their own. The emotion builds with each page and I found myself smiling, teary, wistful and hopeful. The book portrays a young mother’s hopes and dreams for her child in such a beautiful way.
The simple pen-and-ink and watercolors quietly and profoundly emphasize each page in a way that compliments the text perfectly. The colors give a sense of the dreams and hopes in a soft, almost wispy way. I found this story to be absolutely lovely.
