From School Library Journal
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Baby-Toddler—Van Camp captures the love and joy of
new parents welcoming a baby into their lives. Told from the
first-person perspective of two new parents, the story highlights
what they hope to give to their child, from kisses to songs,
while also depicting the sense of happiness that their child
gives them. The final page concludes with a simple yet candid
declaration: "Welcome to the world! We love you!" The writing is
minimal but has a lyrical, musical quality, as Van Camp uses
poetic, metaphoric language, such as the phrases, "Our forever
home is inside of you" and "Through you we are born again." As a
result, a good portion of the book may go over the heads of its
intended audience and will be better appreciated by parents than
young readers, making it more suitable for one-on-one sharing.
Flett's illustrations, made using gouache on paper and digital
collage, are muted and understated, matching the tranquil tone of
the text. While some of the prose might be a little too abstract
for young children to fully understand, the emotions of
parenthood—including feelings of love, elation, and gratitude—are
certain to be conveyed to them by the parents who share this tale
with them. VERDICT A lovely picture book that will resonate with
parents and show young readers the profound, positive impact they
have on their parents' lives.—Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public
Library, NY
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Review
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"Both Van Camp's words and Flett's illustrations are
economical, but We Sang You Home is not a quick read. Instead,
each of the paired pages of text and illustration truly demands
that the reader pause and reflect on the pages' contents. Highly
recommended." (CM Magazine 2016-06-10)
"The emotions of parenthood—including feelings of love, elation,
and gratitude—are certain to be conveyed to [children] by the
parents who share this tale with them. A lovely picture book that
will resonate with parents and show young readers the profound,
positive impact they have on their parents' lives." (School
Library Journal 2016-10-18)
"Babies and toddlers love to be loved, and they will also love to
see themselves and their parents reflected in the beautiful pages
of this book." (Canadian Children's Book News 2017-01-06)
"A great strength of this book is that it is nonspecific and
inclusive enough to encompass all new babies—arriving through
birth, fostering, or adoption—and it does not specify gender…The
whole message is one of love, welcome, and completion now that
the young one has joined the family. The eye-catching
illustrations hint at a non-specific non-white race for the
family (could be Asian, First Nations, Inuit, etc.), making this
book inclusive and encompassing of Canada's ethnic diversity…It
is a book of thankfulness and hope that would make a wonderful
addition to the preschool collection in a library. Highly
recommended." (Resource Links 2016-10-19)
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