Before we met by Gabrielle Tozer. Illus. by Sophie Beer

Before we met, I made a wish
Upon a starry night
begins this verse story of how a child will be welcomed into its family.

Each stanza begins much the same encouraging readers to read along with the adult. A different second line offers a different set of things the family is waiting for and wanting to do for their new baby. Firstly the child will be brought home, its world to be filled with light. The baby’s face will be stroked and kissed and the parents will sing lullabies, later the parents will hold its hand, run its bath and hug the child tightly. The parents will teach it well, guide its way and fill the days with fun. The parents will watch it grow and see it shine, and love it whether near or far away. All of the things mentioned are virtues that the family shares, loving and caring for their offspring, no matter how it was brought to the home or where it lives. This book is a celebration of the diversity of families, of the array of people that love and care for children, parents known for their part in bringing up a child. At the start the bright illustrations show a variety of ways a child comes into a home. There might be a hospital birth, or IVF, or adoption. The child will be in a home of love and excitement, where a new baby is anticipated and welcomed. The illustrations again show an array of families, all having the one thing in common, the welcoming of an anticipated new baby in their lives.

Themes: IVF, Anticipation, Excitement, Siblings, Family, Relationships.

Fran Knight