Before You Came

Children love to hear stories about themselves, especially ones that involve their birth, parents, and extended family. These stories captivate a young child's imagination and become treasured family folklore.  My own father was a zookeeper before he had his own little wild animals and my four-year-old self imagined that our house was once filled with a menagerie of exotic pets.  David Diaz creates the feeling of a magical folktale through his illustrations in Before You Came by Patricia MacLachlan & Emily MacLachlan Charest.

The deep browns of a mother's skin and curls are set against a vibrant backdrop of the adventures she had before the birth of her child.  The final pages show the mother and father sharing these special experiences with a wide-eyed little girl.  Take this beautiful book home as a way to start a narrative with your own children about their birth and their family history.