Whatever You Grow Up to Be by Karen Kingsbury {Children's Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a sample copy of this book to review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Warning: read this book with tissues on hand.

I've been a fan of Karen Kingsbury's writing for years, and her voyage into the world of children's books has certainly not been disappointing. Her latest release, Whatever You Grow Up to Be, is a beautiful storybook that tells the tale of a mom watching her precious little boy dream and imagine his way through childhood.

The rhyming words are almost lyrical and take readers - old and young - along on the journey of this family. From learning to walk, to building forts and rescuing backyard friends in a firetruck, all the way to graduation and college, this book is colorful and fun, but nostalgic at every turn.

I'm in the place of the mom in the first few pages - my kids have already learned to walk, but we are deep in the years of fort-building and backyard shenanigans. Even though I know time is going fast, it's easy to become frustrated when the days seem long. Picture books like this one make me cherish the moments I am spending with my little ones - because whether it's always obvious or not, the time is fleeting. I can't read this story without tearing up.

The illustrations by Valeria Docampo are beautiful and inspiring. We will treasure this book for years to come - and maybe someday, when the pages are well-worn and the cover is ripped, I will read it with my grandchildren. And like the mom in the story, I will know with absolute certainty that these precious moments of childhood flew by too quickly.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for my review sample of this book. I received no compensation for posting a review and all views expressed are my own.