A beautiful story book about the balance of letting your children grow up and seeing who they're meant to become. Heartwarming and it's a rhyming book! Very cute. ( )

I love this book but I cry every time I read it. I think the pictures are colorful but very cartoon-like. I love the that through out the story it says ”If I could keep you little… but then I’d miss…” From singing a lullaby to picking out a friend, the book is a mom’s perspective on a child growing up. But as most moms know children grow up fast and I like how the book takes that. I like reading this book to my kindergartener, and in the book it talks about “but I’d miss you reading the words you’ve learned.” She likes to see how big she has gotten since the last time I read it to her and so a good book to get a child talking. ( )

Every mother wishes she could keep her children little forever. The mother in this sweet read is no different, but every page is filled with all the wonderful stuff she would be missing out on if they did. "If I could keep you little, I'd keep you close to me. But then I'd miss you growing into who you're meant to be." This is a great book for parents and children to enjoy together. ( )

This short story talks about how a parent wishes they could keep their child little forever but if they did, they would miss out on so much through out their life. It starts by stating one thing and then contradicts it with say but then I miss... Such as "If I could keep you little I'd choose a friend or two for you to play with, but then I'd miss the friends you made who like you too." ( )

Summary: This book is a story written from a mother to her child. In the book she is telling the child all of the things she could do if only she could keep her child little. She goes on to tell him all of the good things that she would miss out on if he did stay little. The mother longs to keep her child little, but at the same time she is happy to watch her child grow into the person that he will become.

Personal reaction: This book stood out to me on the library shelf because I have had the same thoughts while watching my children grow. I wish that I could keep them little, but then I would miss out on so many things if I did.

Classroom extensions: In a Kindergarten classroom, the teacher could read this book to the children the week of the classes Kindergarten graduation. They would talk about how the children are growing up and moving on to greater things in life, like the boy in the book.

For an activity, I would have the children make and decorate graduation caps.

The class could also have a group discussion about what new things they think they will do as they grow.