Hello, friends! Our book today is The Thank You Book, written by Mary Lyn Ray and illustrated by Stephanie Graegin, a lovely little read that encourages us to find time to be thankful.

Learning to say “thank you” is important, of course; we learn it to be polite, and to express gratitude and respect for the people in our lives. But sometimes, it’s also important to pause and say “thank you”, not to a person, but to the things in life that make us feel safe and happy. To take a moment to thank the sun for rising each day, for glitter and glue, for parades and storytime, for picnics and warm food shared with friends. There is goodness in this, taking stock of all the wonderful things in life and quietly, inwardly expressing gratitude for them – it helps us find peace and satisfaction in the little things. And at the end of each day, we can all snuggle into our cozy beds and be thankful for the world we live in, its promise, and that we are all sharing the next sunrise.

How absolutely wonderful. From the first page, I loved the focus on, not only saying thank you to others, but on being thankful for the many small and wondrous blessings we encounter each day (and while I say “blessings”, the book is not religious – though it could absolutely be interpreted that way if the reader so chose). There is such a lovely gentleness to the way the text points out all the tiny pleasures of life that fill us with a spark of joy or happiness, using quiet imagery that feels like being wrapped in a blanket. The illustrations are absolutely fantastic, featuring a diverse cast of anthropomorphic animals and multi-ethnic children to show a community of diversity and inclusion. The length is perfect for a short storytime, and JJ loved it. A beautiful encouragement to find gratitude in daily life, and we adored it. Baby Bookworm approved!

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