Things to Look Forward To

by Sophie Blackall (Illustrator)

Overview

Everyone needs things to look forward to: big things and small things, on good days and on bad days, whether we actively create delight for ourselves or simply allow it to enter our lives.

In these pages, beloved author and illustrator Sophie Blackall has gathered a collection of joys for all of us—reminders that every day the sun comes up and new babies are born. She includes suggestions that you bake muffins for a friend, or draw a face on an egg and put it in the fridge where it will smile at you each time you open the door. With wisdom, whimsy, and compassion, the 52 illustrated ideas in this book offer moments of uplift and serendipity for yourself and your loved ones.

A message of hope and solace in hard times and of joyful anticipation at times of new beginnings—whether you're grieving a loss or starting a new chapter—and for all the days in between—Things to Look Forward to is full of gentle reminders of the objects, occasions, gestures, and ideas that warm our hearts. There is always something bright on the horizon, and sometimes that horizon can be a lot closer than we think.

BELOVED AUTHOR: Sophie Blackall is a world-renowned, two-time Caldecott award-winning children's book author and illustrator. Whether your kids grew up with Ivy & Bean and If You Come to Earth, or you're discovering Blackall's empathetic voice and gorgeous artwork for the first time, you're sure to fall in love with her new book for adults and folks of all ages.

UPLIFTING AND HOPEFUL: We all need a little reassurance that things will get better—this book offers just that, and so much more. It reminds us that while looking forward is important, sometimes we can take matters into our own hands and create our own joy when we need it most.

THE PERFECT GIFT: Not only a promise of solace in tough times, this book is also a celebration of joyful new beginnings—after all, who has more to look forward to than parents of new babies, or recent grads? You'll want to give Things to Look Forward to to the grieving and the embarking alike. Perfect for new moms, new graduates, those going through breakups or suffering a loss, and anyone who could use a little extra joy in life just because.

Perfect for:

• Those going through hard times and those experiencing joyous life events
• Parents (or aunts, uncles, grandparents) who have bought Sophie Blackall's books for their children and fallen in love with her artwork
• Shoppers looking for the perfect grad gift or baby shower gift
• People looking for a way to express sympathy with someone who is struggling or grieving

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781797214481
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	04/19/2022
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	28,346
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Sophie Blackall is an Australian illustrator based in New York. Blackall has illustrated more than forty children's books, including Finding Winnie, for which she won the 2016 Randolph Caldecott Medal, and Hello Lighthouse, which won the Caldecott Medal in 2019. She is the illustrator of the long-running Ivy & Bean series of early reader chapter books, and the author of the picture book If You Come to Earth, also from Chronicle Books.

Editorial Reviews

02/14/2022

“There is always something bright on the horizon—even if we have to squint to see it,” writes two-time Caldecott Medalist Blackall (Hello Lighthouse) in this sanguine work aimed at folks of all ages. After a year plagued by personal challenges, tragedy, and the pandemic, Blackall decided it was “better to look forward” rather than languish in the wreckage around her. To do so, she created a list of things that consistently brought her joy. While she notes the importance of striving for “long-term environmental protection” and “an end to poverty,” the bits of comfort she reaches for are the simple pleasures of everyday life, from savoring a mug of coffee to patting a friendly dog. Alongside soothing watercolor illustrations, she muses on the joys of being connected to others; the delights often relished in solitude, such as rereading parts of a favorite book or taking a hot shower; and pinpoints the gratification of finishing something—be it a jigsaw puzzle or a course of antibiotics (“allowing you to resume your evening cocktail”). Infused with whimsy and hope, each page serves as a heartening reminder that even the smallest moments can be rewarding. This is the perfect pick-me-up. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

A full moon, a new word, coffee . . . children’s book illustrator Blackall shares some of her favorite small pleasures, reminding grown-ups there’s always something good ahead.” —People

“What makes the book so wondrous is that each seemingly mundane thing on the list shimmers with an aspect of the miraculous, each fragment of the personal opens into the universal, each playful wink at life grows wide-eyed with poignancy.” —The Marginalian

“You can't page through this book without feeling a renewed sense of appreciation for the everyday.” —BookPage

“Infused with whimsy and hope, each page serves as a heartening reminder that even the smallest moments can be rewarding. This is the perfect pick-me-up.”—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher