Goodnight Whispers
Author: Michael Leannah
Illustrator: Dani Torrent
Familius
Ages: 5 to 8 years old
This book speaks of the incredible bond between a father and his daughter.
Growing up an only child, I was always given endless encouragement and guidance by my parents. I had a close relationship to both and was deeply affected by the loss of my mother when I was 22. At the time, I never would have imagined what my relationship with my father would evolve into. This book speaks of the incredible bond between a father and his daughter.
At the onset of the story, a father is putting his newborn baby to bed. As he stands by her crib, he whispers in her ear, “you are the most wonderful girl in the world.” The next evening he says, “I love you very much.” On another night he tells her, “I love being your father.”
We follow their relationship as it grows until she is grown and living on her own. Throughout, her father’s words are intricately woven into the threads of her life offering her strength and security, even when he isn’t with her.
As she grows older, her father’s words remain with her and give her the encouragement to strive to accomplish her goals and never give up. Once grown, with a child of her own, the story comes full circle as she returns to her father’s home where her now ill father is waiting. Now, the one to stand by the bed is her, watching over her father as he sleeps.
In the same manner as he did with her, she leans down and whispers, “you are the most wonderful man in the world.”
She then goes to watch her own baby sleeping, and whispers to him, “You are good, from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes, you are so very, very good.”
Torrent’s warm illustrations give the reader a close-up look at the beauty of the relationship that unfolds in this story. With rich, vibrant colors that draw the reader’s eye to every detail on each page, he complements the story with the kind of images that make the reader not only see the story but also, feel the emotions that are unfolding in it.
This is a story that tells about the circle of life and how important it is to feel loved, appreciated, supported, and special. It is a story that teaches us that the greatest gifts we can give our children do not come from a store but rather from our hearts.
Written for ages 3-5, this is a book that children of any age will love and parents will cherish.
Goodnight Whispers (Support an Independent Bookstore)
Goodnight Whispers (Hardcover at Amazon)*
More books for this Age Group can be found here.
My thanks to Familius for providing a Review Copy of this book. All opinions provided herein are my own.
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