Good Morning, World—I Love You So

A rhyming board book expressing gratitude.

This story, written in the first person and addressed to the “world,” lists many features of life for which we are thankful, from the sun and moon to familiar faces to a bowl of cereal. The book repeats the phrase “I love you” (“I love you neighbors waving hi / I love you doggy walking by”), with a rhyme and pacing reminiscent of Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon (1947). There is minimal text on each page, which makes this an appropriate length for lap-sitting little ones. The book also has the potential for more complex conversations about gratitude for older toddlers. Though the text lacks capitalization and (with a few exceptions) punctuation, that doesn’t impede read-aloud fluency. The illustrations resemble cut-paper collage: simple images with abundant white space. This makes the pages visually appealing but not overly distracting or busy and helps the words stand out. While the concept of gratitude can be a complicated one for little readers, this book could easily serve as a starting place for building a more personal family thankfulness practice or specific conversation about what it means to be grateful. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet, relatable book that encourages little ones to appreciate the world around them. (Board book. 1-3)