Hello, friends! Our book today is In My Life, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, illustrated by Genevieve Santos, a picture book interpretation of the classic Beatles song.

Following the lyrics of the timeless ballad “In My Life”, the artwork opens on a young curly-haired girl discovering a brand new bike with training wheels, and taking it for a spin with an older female character (their relationship is never explicitly defined, but context suggests she is the girl’s mother or caregiver). The girl is shown adventuring on her bike all over their seaside setting: exploring, playing, discovering; sometimes with her companion, sometimes alone. As she grows, her bike changes – losing training wheels, becoming a larger model, changing out colors and handlebars. The girl is shown attending college, commuting through city streets, then returning to the seaside town with her own young daughter in tow (on her bike’s new child seat, naturally). They have someone to visit… and a new bike to try out, so all three girls can begin exploring anew.

Heartwarming, if occasionally puzzling. While “In My Life” is quite possibly one of the most universally affecting Beatles songs, the lyrics do feature the word “lovers” repeatedly, a word which is, frankly, odd to read in a children’s book in its intended context (we chose to “sing” the book through, and I’m afraid it didn’t make those lines any less awkward). That being said, the sweet and gentle story told by the artwork is lovely to behold, as Santo’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations are gorgeous and atmospheric, and the use of color to set each scene’s tone is stunning. The length is great for a storytime, JJ loved that we could sing it, and I won’t lie: the final few pages got me a little choked up and teary-eyed. A few hiccups, but overall a lovely and moving reimagining that music-lovers in particular will adore. Baby Bookworm approved!

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