Awww this book was so sweet! I read it for Santat, because I love his art, and I ended up loving the story as well. ( )

Particularly love the illustrations in this one. Dan Santat’s illustrations are always so colorful, full, and spread across the space. They remind me of some comic style art. The story itself is cute too, talking about how watching little ones grow can be like a blur that has moments that freeze time. ( )

How did we get here so fast?

The question I ask as my daughter is about to turn one. (And I still remember the painful walk from hell--AKA being dilated without an epidural because I needed to be more progressed--like it was yesterday)

Sure, with Dan Santat's illustrations, you would expect more comedy. But I do not think that is very achieved. Parents will enjoy this book more than the kiddos I think. Because truly you will ask yourself how does time move so fast? What are the moments in our children's lives where time has stood still? ( )

how quickly kids grow up ( )

I did not read any reviews of this book beforehand, and thought it was going to be a superhero-kid-wreaks-havoc story, but no - it's about a baby being born, growing into a kid, having a whole childhood - birthday parties, grieving a dead dog, learning to drive - and leaving for college, parents in the rearview. Not sure what kids will make of it, but it's a knockout punch for grown-ups. Like "Oh, the Places You'll Go" but looking backward instead of forward.

2023 Mock Caldecott
Illustration observations: The title text is blurred, in keeping with the theme. Motion is shown throughout with blur lines and colored dots like confetti. Some illustrations are full page, others are spot illustrations surrounded by white space. Some life experiences/memories are in muted, almost sepia color, while illustrations in the present are full, bright color. In the final illustration, the viewer's POV is in front of the car that the grown-up child is driving; clues in the car indicate that they are off to college, with their stuffed lion toy (title page illustration, and throughout) to accompany them, and parents standing together, waving in the rear-view mirror. ( )