On the Night You Were Born (Hardcover)

by Nancy Tillman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The birth of a baby—"the one and only ever you"—causes jubilation throughout creation in this quietly celebratory picture book from newcomer Tillman. Polar bears dance, giraffes weave to the sound of brass horns, and "the moon smiled with such wonder/ that the stars peeked in to see you/ and the night wind whispered,/ 'Life will never be the same.' " Tillman successfully sidesteps the soft-focus sappiness that can accompany this genre. Her writing has the authenticity of whispered conversation; occasionally, she pauses in her exaltations of the baby to address the subject directly: "I think I'll count to three so you can wiggle your toes for me." Her strong, assured paintings truly set this book apart. The pictures subtly radiate golden glints of moonlight, and her almost sculptural rendering style gives her characters a hefty physicality that counterbalances the ethereal sentiments being expressed. Although one suspects that grown-ups will be most taken with the topic and treatment, this is one of those rare baby books that should make both skeptics and sentimentalists of all ages happy. All ages. (Oct.)
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From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2—Rhyming text extols and celebrates the uniqueness of a newborn. "Because there had never been anyone like you…ever in the world." As the news of the birth travels, creatures around the world celebrate. "When the polar bears heard, they danced until dawn." "…the geese flew home." "Heaven blew every trumpet…." The text sits on white pages opposite large, richly colored illustrations. The moon appears in all of the paintings—as reassuring as the text's sentiment. Golden musical notes float across the sky as white polar bears dance and giraffes sway to the sounds of the moon's saxophone. The dark blue night skies make a beautiful and dramatic setting for this special night. The painterly art and poetic quality of the text make this an attractive book. Parents and grandparents are most likely to appreciate it, but they will undoubtedly want to share it with a child.—Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends; 1 edition (October 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312346069
• ISBN-13: 978-0312346065
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (103 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,100 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #5 in	Books > Children's Books > Ages 4-8 > Picture Books

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

188 of 188 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful message, October 24, 2007

By	Jan's Info - See all my reviews

This book's powerful message could change the way the children in the world see themselves. This is truly the bedtime stories to end all bedtime stories. When I read it to my daughter again and again, he always feels so special. Wish it could be handed out to new parents as they leave the hospital. Thank you to the author for giving us this special memory. The artwork is also beautiful! Another special title that I recommend above all other children books is Why Some Cats are Rascals ( Book 3).

57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book terrific for even an adoptive child too!, February 6, 2006

By	KSL "emma-and-me" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: On the Night You Were Born (Hardcover)

When I saw this book I thought oh, I bet this is an absolutely wonderful book for any child who receives it...but I won't be able to read it to my daughter who was "born in my heart & in another mother's tummy". With both my sister and sister-in-law are pregnant I wanted to check out this book and see if my thoughts on this book where the same as the other reviewers.

Not only did I fall in love with this book, but I was also very surprised that this book also can be given to your adoptive child as well! Unlike other books this book focuses completely on your child and not on her or his birthmother. This book speaks of how special your child is, that there is no other child exactly like them and shows you how the world, moon and animals celebrated the night your child was born.

The illustrations are beautiful and some even have musical notes that swirl about the page. The baby is in a basket and you never see the it's face. The words are pure poetry, speaking to the child in all of us on how special, how rare and how there is only one of each of us IN THE WHOLE WORLD!

An awesome book that every child should be given and read to until they know without a doubt of how special they are! Adults too could learn much from this book! And if you are giving this book as a baby shower gift.... you have picked one of the best baby gifts out there in the world today!

PS: Another wonderful book is Twelve Gifts of Birth.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every child should be read this book, December 15, 2005

By	L. Fort "lkfort" (Houston, MN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: On the Night You Were Born (Hardcover)

What a wonderful book! Every child needs to be read this book, slowly so the words sink in. They need to know that they are loved and special. I am a new grandma, my granddaughters are ages 3 and 4, they will be read this book over and over again.
thank you Ms. Tillman