Hello, friends! Our book today is I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know, written by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Nicolette Robinson and illustrated by Joy Hwang Ruiz, a heartfelt ode to the bond between caregivers and their children.

On the day that a parent or caregiver meets their child, they give them their heart, and as the child grows – and perhaps the family does, too – that connection never wavers or lessons, never breaks, and never ceases. On through good times and bad, through big moments and little ones, as that child grows and learns and becomes a grown-up themselves, the love of their caregivers is a constant that can be relied upon, even if it can never truly be described.

Lovely. Odom, Jr. and Robinson’s rhyming text is simple and lyrical, aside from occasionally clunky meter, and filled with universal sentiments that the adult caregivers will connect with and kids will understand. Yet as fine as the text is, Hwang Ruiz’s illustrations positively shine from every page, filled as they are with genuine warmth and tenderness as they depict a fantastically wide scope of family life. Inclusive illustrations not only show a wide range of skintones, body types, adaptive apparatus, family compositions, religious apparel, body modifications, hair textures, and LGBTQ+ representation, but also include elements rarely acknowledged in picture books such as body positivity and breastfeeding. It’s the kind of thoughtful and authentic diversity that is wonderful to see in children’s literature, especially as the genre faces attacks on diverse and accurate cultural representation. Further, the length is perfect, and JJ and I both loved it. A warm hug of a book for caregivers and their kids to cozy up with, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)