What is a Child? Hardcover – Illustrated, 4 Feb. 2016

A beautiful book, perfect for my daughter, a new mother .

Based on the blurb and the cover art, I really expected and wanted to love this book but, having read it first time, I came away...empty. I left it a few days and tried again but the same sense of it just not quite hitting its mark stuck.I do love the illustrations throughout and it has some wonderful little moments (such as the reasons - from the very big to things that might seem small and insignificant to an observer - a child might be sad), but it also had some really 'off' moments - such as the implication that adulthood is a) miserable and b) consists of hiding that misery from your children.I am also assuming that the author has experience with a child who needs a night light. Nothing wrong with that at all but not all children do and it is presented almost as an absolute. Personally, if I'd have been asked to come up with a list of things children need to thrive I might have gone with things like love, respect, understanding. It's not that they (or at least the sense of them) are missing but if I was emphasising anything by making it the only thing repeated in the text (night light) then I'd definitely go with one of those over said night light!I have also shared it with the children (aged between 3 - 10) in the play setting it was bought for and though no-one actually said they disliked it, neither were any of them grabbed by it (no requests for re-reading and no-one has taken it off the shelf of their own accord, both of which are very unusual for new books) and there were none of the sort of discussions and chats we usually get around books, which is particularly disappointing from one like this, which you'd have thought would have offered the perfect gateway for that!

Wonderful insight into childhood. Brilliant for new parents

A brilliant book to encourage self-awareness in your child. Children may seem to be all the same at first glance, but each of them have something that makes them unique. My son loves it! I highly recommend it

great book but ok illustrations....sorry