From the bestselling author of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, Sherri Duskey Rinker, and the award-winning creator of Me . . . Jane and The Skunk, Patrick McDonnell, comes this funny and tender love letter from a parent to her child. Before YOU came along, so many things were different! But now there's a giggly baby, a house full of adventures and toys, a million little surprises. . . . And so much love. A celebration of all the sloppy, noisy, sticky, and wonderful ways a child changes everything. A Perfect Bedtime Story: Ends with a sweet, cuddly goodnight scene that makes it a go-to for winding down at the end of a wiggly, playful day. - Heartfelt Parent-Child Love: A tender and funny love letter that reassures little ones of how GINORMOUSLY they are loved, messes and all. - Celebrates a New Baby: With its "before you came along" theme, it’s an ideal gift for baby showers and for helping older siblings welcome a new family member. - Lyrical Rhyming Text: From the bestselling author of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site , this playful rhyme is a joy for parents and children to share. - Laugh-Out-Loud Humor: Captures the silly, stinky, and slimy side of parenthood that will have kids and grown-ups giggling together. PreS-K—Directed to a child from a wistful parent's point of view, this picture book acknowledges and celebrates the change of routine and pace that a young child brings into a home. "I never imagined, before you came along…that our house could get this messy and LOUD!" With each page turn, the illustrations, done in pen, brush, and ink, bring humor to the nonstop day as Mom and the cat take everything more or less in stride while the small daughter bounds exuberantly through all of it. Vases break, little blocks injure Mom's feet, and everything gets dirty, sticky, or smelly. After listing these more challenging daily aspects of parenting, the story slowly turns, expressing glimpses of amazement and wonder, until "Since there was you, I'm always surprised at how much fun you are, and how GINORMOUSLY I love you." Finally, the exhausted mother manages to get this little ball of energy (mostly) to sleep in her arms, recognizing that "dreams really do come true." The fun and expressively active line drawings nicely balance the text, keeping the story from becoming too sentimental or exhausting. VERDICT While children may enjoy the humor and the cozy but fast-paced story, this book ultimately serves as a helpful pep talk for the tired grown-ups in their lives.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA “[A] cozy but fast-paced story” - School Library Journal Before YOU came along, so many things were different! But now . . . There's laughter, a house full of adventures and toys, a million little surprises. . . . And so much love. From bestselling author Sherri Duskey Rinker and award-winning artist Patrick McDonnell comes this funny and tender love letter from a parent to a child. Sherri Duskey Rinker is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site ; Steam Train, Dream Train ; Silly Wonderful You ; and other popular picture books. Sherri lives in the Chicago area with her photographer husband and two sons. She can be found online at www.sherriduskeyrinker.com. Patrick McDonnell is the creator of the beloved internationally syndicated comic strip MUTTS , which features the characters that star in five of his children's picture books: Just Like Heaven , Hug Time , South, Wag! , and The Gift of Nothing . He is also the creator of Me . . . Jane , a Caldecott Honor Book and a New York Times bestselling picture book biography of Dr. Jane Goodall, and has written and illustrated A Perfectly Messed-Up Story and the award-winning picture book Art. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Karen; their formerly feral cat, Not Ootie; and their adopted terrier, Amelie. We search for any book you like In Chinese, Russian and Spanish Service for Businesses, Individuals, Governments, Universities Any medium you choose, that is available Read, Learn, Research and Enjoy