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Summary
Summary
From a Newbery Medal-winning author comes a contemporary classic that's perfect for new parents as well as families with new siblings on the way.
You were the first to smile. You were the first to cry. You were the first to lift your head, to look at the trees and flowers and sky.
There is nothing like the first experience of having a child, a life-changing experience that completely transforms the meaning of love. While all babies in the family are special, a new sibling can be an especially challenging emotional transition for the firstborn, and this unique story addresses those insecurities head-on in a most gentle and lyrical way. You Were the First is also a touching tribute to any baby's early milestones--those unforgettable moments that will always be cherished. From first smiles to first cuddles and even to that first kiss, here's a loving ode to every child's--and parent's--momentous "firsts."
Author Notes
Patricia Maclachlan is the author of many beloved children's books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall , which won the Newbery Medal in 1986, several other bestselling books in the Sarah series, and picture books including All the Places to Love , What You Know First , Your Moon, My Moon , and Before You Came , co-authored with her daughter. A board member of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance, she lives with her husband in Massachusetts. They have five grandchildren-all of whom are firsts in her heart.Stephanie Graegin is the illustrator of Don't Feed the Baby , Water in the Park , Happy Birthday, Bunny! and several other books. She studied fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and went on to attend the Pratt Institute, where she received a master of fine arts in printmaking. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit her online at www.graegin.com.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 1-Told in second person, this picture book pays tribute to the significance of the moments with a baby from its very first night home. "You were the first.. You were the first to sleep in the basket with the yellow ribbon wound round. You were the first to cry. You were the first to smile." Simple, poignant lines allow plenty of room for the warm illustrations done in graphite pencil and ink to bring readers into the joyful home of this young family. Each page is full of telling details for children to notice while conveying emotion that will resonate strongly with parents. The baby grows a little with every page turn in this book of firsts-lifting his head, and then crawling, walking, and running-bringing readers to the powerful line in the text: "You were the first to teach us how to be parents." The book closes with that yellow-ribboned basket again while suggesting a possible second child, but promising that this baby will always be the first. A touching celebration for firstborns.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Let's hear it for the privileges of birth order! Because as this book reminds all the Numero Unos out there, "One day there may be a second-or a third-to sleep in the basket with the yellow ribbon wound round. But you will always be the first." MacLachlan (Cat Talk) and Graegin (Water in the Park) celebrate the modest milestones that seem so marvelous the first time around: first snowfall, first steps, first smiles, and first coos. As MacLachlan sagely observes, first babies "teach us how to be parents," a statement that many children may find positively revelatory. However, the book presents parenthood as a surprisingly passive learning experience. Graegin's mixed-media images, rendered in soft nursery colors, portray a couple in a kind of holding pattern of happiness. There are no highs, lows, or frantic moments of wondering what to do; every page is a study in warm, easy smiles. Even singletons who think they're very special indeed may see this as an overidealized depiction of the nuclear family. Up to age 3. Author's agent: Rubin Pfeffer, East West Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.