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My Love Is All Around You With A Kiss On Top

By Laura Banks Goble

I absolutely LOVED this story! It follows a girl named Trevi and her journey through life, anchored by a special bond with her mother. On Trevi’s first day of school, her mother creates a “secret handshake” symbolizing love and reassurance: a pinky promise to remind Trevi of her mother’s love and a thumb press symbolizing “a kiss on top.” This handshake becomes a cherished ritual, calming Trevi during challenging moments in her life. As Trevi grows a little older, she stops the secret handshake thing because, “She’s not a little kid anymore”. Years later when she goes to college and she’s saying goodbye to her mother they do the secret handshake again 🤝 and it makes them both happy, leaving Trevi feeling like her mother’s love will never leave her. The story ends with Trevi becoming a mother herself and holding her new baby, saying… “One day I’ll show you a secret handshake, but for now just know my love is all around you.“ then, she gently leaned forward and kissed her baby girls head and whispered, “with a kiss on top.” This really is a powerful and touching story! Truly a celebration of parenthood and the way small acts of love shape a child’s confidence and sense of security. It’s a reminder that even as children grow and drift away, the love and traditions we create with them remain an integral part of who they are. I love that this story so beautifully demonstrates how important those small things in life are. Nicknames, inside jokes or secret handshakes all help form strong bonds between friends and family. After reading this, I’m going to more mindful about this in my own life. This book would make a wonderful gift for new mothers or parents looking to build lasting traditions with their children. Definitely a great addition to your children’s bookshelf.

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Are You My Mother

By P. D. Eastman

This book is a classic! I remember learning to read when I was young, and this was one of my favorites. Perfect for early readers or as a bedtime story. Follows a young bird’s journey to find its mother. The story begins when a mother bird leaves her egg in the nest to search for food. While she’s away, the egg hatches, and the baby bird is born. Not seeing his mother, the little bird decides to set off on a quest to find her, asking a variety of animals and objects he encounters along the way, “Are you my mother?” The baby bird’s search takes him from a kitten to a hen, a dog, a cow, and even inanimate objects like a car and a boat. Eventually, he meets a large power shovel, which he calls a “Snort.” The Snort picks him up and returns him to his nest, just in time for his mother to come home. In the end, the mother bird and her baby are happily reunited, and the little bird now knows who his mother is. I love the concept!! It’s simple and also very relatable to young children. Absolute must have for any collection!

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Girl vs Squirrel

By Hayley Barrett

It’s about a girl who sets up some different bird-feeders in her backyard. When a squirrel starts stealing the nuts meant for the birds, she decides she’s going to outsmart the squirrel. The squirrel makes easy work of her upgrades, inspiring her to create an impossible obstacle course to see what this squirrel is made of. In no time flat, the squirrel completed her obstacle course, got the peanuts and returned to her nest. That’s when the girl noticed three little babies were in the nest. The girl was so excited to find out that this peanut stealing squirrel was actually a mom who was just trying to feed her babies. The Girl declared at that moment, that the squirrel wins and she’s now going to help the squirrel family! So she set up multiple birdfeeders and a wonderful obstacle courses for the little baby squirrels to train on and kept everything stocked with peanuts and seeds. This is a lighthearted book with outstanding illustrations and a lovely message. You can’t really ask for more in a book … I love the message about respecting mothers and also having compassion and empathy for animals. This is definitely a must have!!

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