cover image I Hope You Will Know

I Hope You Will Know

Jaren Ahlmann, illus. by Pete Olczyk. Collective Book Studio, $17.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-951412-98-2

In this hopeful love letter, a caretaker supplies an earnest checklist of things they want a child to remember “as you wonder and marvel and grow.” Each spread features a pithy all-caps maxim (“DREAM BIG,” “SHARE YOUR KINDNESS”) followed by rhyming couplets that elaborate on the idea: “Always look for the wonders, no matter how small,/ For a heart that is grateful finds joy in them all.” Olczyk’s textured, light-filled artwork flows indoors and out, focusing on figures portrayed with varying abilities and skin tones. Across sunny, bucolic settings, a gaggle of boisterous children sporting colorful slickers jump in puddles, while others encounter natural landscapes and interact playfully. The loving reassurance and sentiment on display provide readers with their own cheering section as they venture forth: “And wherever you go and whatever you do,/ I hope you will know I will always love you!” Ages 4–8. (Apr.)