{"id":33357,"date":"2017-09-09T22:08:22","date_gmt":"2017-09-10T02:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=33357"},"modified":"2017-09-09T22:08:22","modified_gmt":"2017-09-10T02:08:22","slug":"review-of-now-by-antoinette-portis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=33357","title":{"rendered":"Review of Now, by Antoinette Portis"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Now<\/em><\/p>\n

by Antoinette Portis<\/p>\n

A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, 2017. 32 pages.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve said before that some of the best sermons are found in children\u2019s books. This book speaks loads about contentment and joy and living in the present.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how it begins:<\/p>\n

This is my favorite breeze.<\/p>\n

This is my favorite leaf.<\/p>\n

This is my favorite hole
\n(this one)
\nbecause it is the one
\nI am digging.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And that\u2019s how it continues. The simple yet beautiful pictures (I love the way she draws the breeze!) show a girl with light brown skin enjoying each favorite thing on a double-page spread.<\/p>\n

The one variation is when her boat goes into the storm drain, and we read, \u201cThat was my favorite boat.\u201d No sadness or crying, just enjoying this moment.<\/p>\n

The book winds up like this:<\/p>\n

And this is my favorite
\nnow
\nbecause it is the one I am having<\/p>\n

with you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The final picture is of the girl in her mother\u2019s lap reading a book, so there\u2019s a nice self-referential element.<\/p>\n

This book just makes me smile!<\/p>\n

And the next time I go for a walk around my lake, I\u2019m going to be saying things to myself like:
\nThis is my favorite breeze.
\nThat is my favorite flower.
\nThat is my favorite bird\u2026.<\/p>\n

What a lovely concept to share with children!<\/p>\n

mackids.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Picture_Books\/now.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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