If I Could Keep You Little

This book is a sweet reminder of why letting go of one stage in your child's life and looking forward to another is bitter sweet. This book is good for older sibligs feeling jealous of a younger sibling or my friend is even going to order one for each of her daughters graduating from high school and college. A parent will cherish and hold on to the memories of each stage of life your child goes through and this book captures this well. I love Marianne Richmond books!

The *idea* behind this book is very good but the writing is very much not. The writing itself is bad and it stilts the flow of the book. I agree with another reviewer -- the writer could have done so much more with such a cute idea.

I have now bought this book 3 times! I bought it for myself and for two friends as gifts! We all LOVE it! Have read it many times! It's a wonderful story! Would buy again in a second and would recommend to a friend as well!

This book was suggested to me by a friend. Having two nieces with children between seven and almost one year old, I knew that I had to get them a copy after reading my friend's copy.

Being a retired elementary educator, I know how fast little ones grow up .

I would recommend this book to every parent of a young child or someone who is expecting.

Both of my nieces just LOVED the book!!!!

My mother read this in the store and was already tearing up after a few pages, with a new little grandson on the way she knew she had to get it for him. I came on the store to order it for her and found it at a cheaper price than the bookstore; always a plus! She was very pleased with the sturdiness of the board book and said she preferred it to the hardcover and softcover editions. We're not sure how it'll hold up against the little one yet but if there are any issues I'll update my review.

This book was suggested to me by a friend. Having two nieces with children between seven and almost one year old, I knew that I had to get them a copy after reading my friend's copy.

Being a retired elementary educator, I know how fast little ones grow up .

I would recommend this book to every parent of a young child or someone who is expecting.

Both of my nieces just LOVED the book!!!!

The title reminded me of the promise my youngest daughter made to me at two and one-half that she would stay "little" forever so that I would have someone to put puzzles together with always! Of course, this is not possible or desirable! So, when I saw this title, I decided that it would be the "birthday" book for each of my five daughters this year who are all "Moms" facing the wonderful - and inevitable - "aging" of their babies. It was wonderful to watch my daughter and son-in-law read the book for the first time. It has helped my grandson emerge as a fully supported adventurous three-year-old with parents anxious for the adventure each day of discovery brings instead of being "sad" for no longer having their "baby" boy. Thank you.

As others said, the artwork leaves much to be desired. Read it once to my 21 month old son, he didn't care for it. Will try again when he's a little older, and the scribbles on the pages may resemble pictures at that point.

I am a little surprised this book got such glowing reviews. I think it is just OK. It is a bit wordy for a small child's attention span. I think it is really parental sentiment disguised as a picture book for children. Also, I don't care for the illustrations as they look like something I could create. I would not order it again...

I ordered this book based on all the rave reviews and now I had to go back to make sure I ordered the right book. The concept is great but I found the rhyming to be rather awkward. For example: "If I could keep you little....I'd strap you in real tight....But then I'd miss you swinging from your treetop height." I mean, you can't SWING from height, right?!? All the phrases are like this - just weird! I wish I would have borrowed this one from the library. Google the text yourself and then decide...

I was looking for a book for my mom's birthday gift when I spotted If I Could Keep You Little... . Perfect, I thought to myself. Recently I graduated high school, so this story's title reminded me a lot of my life right now so I bought it. I'm not gonna lie I didn't read the whole thing before I gave it to her so I was a bit surprised when I gave it to her and she started crying. So later I made a point to read the book and the next thing I knew I was crying too. This story is relatable to all because it describes how much we want to hold on, even when it is time to let go.

Marianne Richmond wrote and illustrated a beautiful book and I would recommend it to parents and children of all ages, as long as you mind a few tears along the way.

What I Can Tell You:
Aw[...] is really the sweetest book. It says everything I try to remind myself about as my kids change over the day to day. Like when I ask my daughter to stop growing because I won't be able to pick her up anymore. Or when I get teary eyed over the fact that they are growing out of their clothes so fast. Or, when they don't ask me to read to them as much any more, or need me to get their snacks and drinks.

I was thankfully very aware of how quick their babyhood would be and that is what got me through the almost 3.5 years of less than 5 hours of sleep. I knew they would never need me as much as they did then.

What Marianne puts so lovingly into words is that while we will miss the times we had to do everything for them, we are so proud when we see them accomplish things on their own. When they make their own choices and decisions, it shows us their independence and sometimes that scares us or makes us sad. But, what we should be looking at is how much WE have taught them. How safe they feel to make these decisions or how confident they are in knowing exactly what they want. That comes from feeling protected and knowing that even if they make mistakes, Mommy and Daddy will be there to pick them up if they should fall.

When I had my 2010 Holiday Home Party last week with my girlfriends, I showed them all the book, they all loved it and everyone had a boo-boo face when reading the words inside.

Truly a beautiful book to be shared by a child and the people who love them!

...the pooled tears began to cascade lightly down my cheeks. Each page made the tears fall faster as my nose became plugged. By the last page, I’m an emotional catastrophe and this is A KID’S BOOK! I was trapped in the concept of many priceless years passing far too quickly as our children grow.

-from the grandpa of a two-year-old heartbreaker.

Grandpas: it’s not that we spoil the ones we love, we just try to make learning things the hard way a little easier.

But I digress. LOL. Fun book to read to the very young. Well illustrated. I will be trying to read this to our granddaughter if I can make it through without a breakdown.

Nice board book. I read it to my son who is 4 and he liked it a lot. It's pretty durable so i see it lasting a few years without having pages ripped out of it. It's a nice story to read to your kids as they grow or even to give to your older kid to remind them of their childhood and your love for them. Great as a gift !

I'm one of those people who wishes my cats could stay kittens so I can understand Marianne Richmond wanting children to stay little. This book has precious illustrations and comforting positive thoughts that will inspire adults and kids alike. My favorite part of the book was:

"If I could keep you little,
we'd finger-paint our art.
But then I'd miss you creating
stories from your heart."

I would however tell children that hanging upside down from tree branches might be dangerous. There is one picture of that happening in this book and so I'd say something to a child while reading.

~The Rebecca Review

I bought this book looking for something with a sweet message for my 20 month old son. When I read it I immediately seen that it's a better fit for a soon-to-be adult or graduate.
The story starts out as a child but every page talks about a higher level in life. (From what I recall) One page mentioning spending the summer at camp or jet skiing at the lake with friends, the story ending with graduating from school.

Clearly not something a toddler or mother of toddler is looking for.
If you have older children that is moving up in life, this would be a good sentimental gift. Especially a graduation gift. But not a book for small children.

A new addition to our children's library, and our first by author Marianne Richmond. A cute little book about having to let our children go to let them grow. Our son hasn't been terribly responsive to it, but its difficult to get him to sit still for much. Only time will tell if his appreciation will grow, but I don't mind as I feel the book was really written for me haha. The bittersweet feeling of children growing older, the theme of the book, is definitely something for the parents. The artwork isn't my favorite but its colorful and sweet and most refreshingly, its ethnically diverse. Something I've noticed lacking from most of my son's other books. Overall a decent choice, although maybe more geared toward parents or children older than ours who are more aware of their growing independence.

My mom bought me this book, she dated it 2011, and wrote notes on the pages about the things I did while growing up. Tonight, for the first time I read it to my baby. I cried the whole way through because it makes me think of all the things he will accomplish. It really makes me appreciate my mom.

If I Could Keep You Little, written and illustrated by Marianne Richmond, is sure to resonate with both parents and growing children who are proud of their accomplishments.

Each page features a mom or dad talking about all the special moments they could hold onto if they could keep their little ones little. Moments like singing lullabies, holding your child's hand, kissing cuts and scrapes and finger painting together plus more are featured.

Also highlighted is the flip side and everything parents would miss about their children's growing accomplishments. For instance, one page says, "If I could keep you little, I'd decide on matching clothes. "The facing page says, "But then I'd miss you choosing dots on top and stripes below." What mom or dad hasn't struggled with whether to let their children choose their own clothes or choose for them? This holding onto control vs. sharing it puts the struggle in perspective as part of a growing child's need for expressing her own opinions and autonomy.

It's a clever way of highlighting for parents all the things they love about their children as they grow. Kids should appreciate the colorful illustrations that do a great job of capturing all the moments and milestones written about in the text. This should be a great book for anyone you know with toddlers and young children.

A bunch of my favorite children's books are written and illustrated by Marianne Richmond, including Fish Kisses and Gorilla Hugs, which was why I was excited to receive one of the best Christmas gifts-- her latest, If I Could Keep You Little....

Richmond's books make for great read-alouds and this one dives into the relationship of a parent and child. It reminds us that as much as we'd like to keep them little, we'd miss out on them developing their personalities and growing up into who they're meant to be.

If I could keep you little,
I'd decide on matching clothes.
But then I'd miss you choosing
Dots on top and stripes below.

The book expresses to young readers the love a parent feels, but explores how independent they will become. This is sure to be a favorite with both parents and children, a rare trait to find in a children's book.

Very touching book. I have 2 toddlers and a teenager. When my oldest graduated it really hit me and I wished I could keep my little ones little forever. My girls really like the book and the pictures are very nice. My favorite part is the end....graduation day...."If I could keep you little, I'd keep you close to me, but then I miss you growing into who your meant to be". I think its more comforting to parents as it is entertaining to the kids.

The overall idea of this book is sweet, especially for parents but I found the rhymes to be rather forced and awkward. The illustrations are not very appealing to me either. It took my daughter a little while to start choosing this book but she eventually did. It's not a favorite but we still read it sometimes.

I Absolutely love this book. I am a first time Mom at 35, and felt like I was a Mom my whole life. I was always watching over family, friends, animals and people in our community, so it just goes to show how Marianne Richmond has the right words to see into a persons heart and mind! Love, Love, Love this book and ready to read more! If you need a narrator, look me up, would really be pleased to read your books on Audio if you don't already have someone.

I can't believe people like this book. I received it as a gift and I cringe each time one of my children wants to read it.
It is all about what the adult narrator would want to do but would miss- nothing from the child's perspective at all.
Additionally, it seems to give the message that comforting a child or caring for them equals not letting them grow up. It actually says something about- I'd kiss your cuts & scrapes but then I'd miss you learning from your MISTAKES. Really?
If you love it, great. Glad you have a different perspective than I do. But just no.

When you are close to a child, you realize how fast time really goes. It seems like only yesterday I was helping care for my nephew after he was born. He's three now and I have no idea where the time went. If I Could Keep You Little is not only something I thought when looking at Damien, it's also a great book. I read it to him and he followed along and looked up at me smiling. It's a beautiful reminder of what it's like to love a child.

I'm so glad we received this book to review - I absolutely love it. It's softly illustrated pages and it's kind loving words that say exactly what's on my heart. As I watch my three children grow I'm always thinking about wanting to keep them little and in that very moment - yet then I'd miss all the amazing things to come. I have written a full review on our website as well - [...]

A mother's sweet musings about what in her heart she'd like to do with her child forever and the letting go she knows in her head that she must do.

As recommended on my children's book recommendation site Books for Children ([...]

I'm always telling my children that I wish they'd stop growing and stay little forever. My daughter is 3 now, and when I see a baby I really miss the baby stage. When I saw this book I had to get it. It is such a sweet reminder that we need to let our little ones grow up and enjoy the stages they go through. I will read this book to my children, but it is a book I got more for me to enjoy.

This is a sweet book for both parents and children. We all want our babies to stay little forever and this book captures just that. It also tells why you cherish them growing up as well. My daughter always says that I can't keep her little forever so she especially likes this book.

Thus book definitely pulls on the heatstrings. My little one is four and I find myself reminiscing to her infancy days. This book reminds that although you wish to keep them little you would miss out on watching them grow.

this is a great book, it makes me want to cry when i read it to my infant daughter, definitely worth whatever it costs, we received it for a shower gift, it was asked of our guests to bring one book to start our daughters libary!

This review is for any one who's had a child in a traumatic experience relating to school. I really wanted to love this book, but I have a really hard time with the majority of pictures suggesting the only place for a child to get an education is by leaving the family and going to school. One of my younger children had quite a few horrible experiences at a brick and mortar school, I was trained to think he HAD to go until he was so depressed his health (on top of his development in all areas) started going down. (it was not until someone pointed out homeschooling is an option that I really realized it was an option. I wished I'd have had the knowledge that I could pull him out of a bad situation) That being said, The picture about learning from your own mistakes was very negative and brought back so many memories of a child that didn't know/understand what rules were expected, that spent many hours in seclusion/time out for not understanding. I'd recommend checking this book out from the library and reading it before giving it to your child if they have had any kind of emotionally difficult experiences on a school bus or at school. I know it may seem silly, but those who really know their children will understand my reasoning. (For all you foster momma out there, you never know where a "trigger" may be, even in the pages of a seemingly cute book.) Really, I suggest pre-reading any book. I guess you could say, I liked the wording of the story, just not the story that the pictures told. Remember this is just an OPINION, from a mama who tries to keep her children surrounded by positive mind-developing things.