And Here’s to You
by David Elliott
Illustrated by Randy Cecil


I heard about this one months ago (during pregnancy, actually) on NPR…and added it to my “buy eventually” list. Since I’d decided to buy “Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart” (review later after I read it), I added this one on to get me above the free shipping rate on Amazon.

LOVE IT! The words were familiar, since they read it on the radio, but the illustrations are just cute as can be, and Maya smiled/laughed at the pictures.

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The book goes through a whimsical “toast” to different animals: birds, fish, bears, bugs, cats, dogs, cows, frogs…and finally people. The rhythm of each section just flows and bounces — it’s natural to read it in a way that’s fun for a baby to hear.

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The final section toasts the listener…YOU! I love how it celebrates not just the cute and sweet, but the quirky and real also.