My Favorite Children's Book Belongs On Your Shelf, Too

We were strolling downtown Olympia when I decided to pop into a little bookshop called Browsers. As we were doing a lap around the kid's section, I saw a pretty book on a kickstand that stuck out to me. It was called You Belong Here and its title was written in beautiful script on a woodland water-color background. I wanted it, but I learned a long time ago you can't judge a book by its cover, so I picked it up and thumbed through. 

I'm picky about books. We all are in different ways. But this one. This book was special. In my soul I knew it was. I paid for it and Oliver and I headed to lunch where we settled into a leather booth in a restaurant my parents used to take me to when I was growing up. While we shared a brunch frittata, I read to him. And I almost cried in the back of a restaurant alone with my baby. 

Remember Love You Forever, the story of a mom's love for her baby as he grows and then how they switch roles at the end and before you know it you're crying in your rocker at 2 a.m. holding your newborn and your nose is running and you're wondering when you became so blubbery? Just me? 

This book is better. 

It's a book you should give at every baby shower and to every new mom and to any family that doesn't have it already. The way our life is right now, I chase Oliver on my knees while he run crawls around the house and I read it to him even though he's busy doing other things. Is it for me? Is it for him? Does it matter? It's a great book and once you get it, you'll want to read it every day. It tugs at something deep within us all—the sense of belonging.

If I've sold you on getting it and you're ready to add it to your collection, I'd like to suggest getting it from a cute little online shop started by a photographer I know who is raising money to fund adoption. It's a few more dollars than it is on Amazon, but your money will be doing a lot more good, so it's totally worth it. When I became obsessed with this book, I didn't realize Veronica, the shop owner, named her site after it. This book is THAT powerful. 

Even better? The author is from Seattle, so I've got a lot of hometown pride running through me right now.