On the Night You Were Born

Product Information

We musn't forget to encourage our 'very young people' to read and to appreciate the beauty of the traditional BOOK. Nancy Tillman's series does just that. My daughter loves it too, at first she was uncooperative about being read to, but as the routine grew so did her attitude towards it, and now when I pull the books out her face lights up and she forgets whatever she was doing, it's now daddy and daughter time. It has made our bedtime routine much easier to slip into, I usually give her one book to thumb through while I read her the other, and though she enjoys playing with the book given to her, she is clearly glued to the story being read, and more often than not, once I'm done reading to her, she either takes the book from my hand and gives it to mommy to read, or she takes the other book and gives it to one of us to read. Either way, her appreciation for reading time is clearly there, which is exactly what we seek to accomplish with storytime. The only downside to these wonderful books is trying to take them away from her after storytime is done, she knows that putting the books away means the end of storytime and she does not let that time end without a fight! On the night you were born, the whole world came alive with thanksgiving. The moon stayed up till morning. The geese flew home to celebrate. Polar bears danced. This is one of those rare baby books that make both skeptics and sentimentalists of all ages happy." -- Publishers Weekly

As I started writing this post I figured the words would just flow. After all, this is one of the biggest days of our lives, our Little Mirchi turns one. An entire year of milestones, memories and moments that are deeply carved into our hearts. But you see, it’s hard to put into words the exact feeling. It’s a little bit of “woohoo, we made it!” a bit of “wow, where did the time go?” and a whole lot of “oh please stay small forever.” Then something wonderful happened. While searching for one of my favorite birthday quotes I discovered it was actually part of a book. I found the book and cried the first time I read it… it was as if someone was peaking into my heart and putting my feelings into words. While working on an Internet promotion, Tillman met author Peggy McColl, a friend and client of Hemming, who sent a copy of On the Night You Were Born to the agent. Knowing little about children’s books, Hemming admitted, “I didn’t know if the book was good or not – but what I did know was that it had sold very well as a self-published book in a short period of time. So I shared it with some people, and the first person immediately cried, and others had similar reactions.” Nancy Tillman is a successful greeting card designer and former advertising executive who created On the Night You Were Born to convey to children, at an early and impressionable age, that You are the one and only ever you. Nancy Tillman lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and their two children.I think this is a sweet book for very young kids, but even some slightly older children will enjoy it.

If the moon stays up until morning one day, or a ladybug lands and decides to stay, or a little bird sits at your window awhile, it’s because they’re all hoping to see you smile… When the polar bears heard, they danced until dawn. From faraway places, the geese flew home. The moon stayed up until morning next day. And none of the ladybugs flew away. Tillman weaves rich illustrations and comforting language to promote in children a deep sense of their own worth. Before the tale ends, children will be wiggling their toes and whispering their names in joyous celebration of their own unique wonder. Fortunately, Tillman’s greeting-card distributor, Bottman Designs, stepped in to help. “Tom Bottman distributed half of the books I sold the first year to gift stores around the country,” she said, “and Biblio Distribution came on board soon after to supply the book to large bookstores and independents.”On the night you were born, the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, “Life will never be the same.”