Module 1: I Already Know I Love You by Billy Crystal

Summary:
I Already Know I Love You is a endearing story told from the perspective of a maternal grandpa.  The grandpa describes all of the fun and exciting thing that he can do with his grandchild during all the early stages of a young one’s life.  Billy Crystal provides creative descriptive language for the reader to become engulfed in the grandpa’s excitement and love for his unborn grandchild.  Elizabeth Sayles creates a wonderful addition to this language with delicately detailed pastel illustrations portraying all of the wonderful activities a grandpa can do with their grandchild.

Citation:

Crystal, B. (2004). I already know I love you. New York, NY: Harper
     
        Collins.

My Impression: 
The story creates a sense of peace as you follow this grandfather through his imagination of activities he would like to do with his granddaughter or grandson.  I enjoyed the creative pictures that provide an excellent visual to follow the precious moments a grandpa creates with a grandchild.  Readers are sure to fall in love with the story and the pictures.

Professional Reviews:

School Library Journal

“As a grandfather-to-be anticipates the birth of his grandchild, he expresses excitement for all of the special moments and activities he can't wait to share: bear hugs, the ocean, a Yankees game, a movie. The rhyming text is basic and yet effective. Crystal manages to come across as sincere rather than sappy so that the special nature of this intergenerational relationship shines through. As the narrator imagines the future, the soft pastel art depicts the baby nestled snuggly in Grandpa's arms. Other pictures show the wide-eyed red-headed child getting older, her grandpa and a fuzzy stuffed monkey by her side. The longevity and importance of this family relationship is thus visually supported and celebrated. After readers see and hear about all of the enjoyable events that will occur, the book comes full circle and ends with the birth of the child, "Get ready, little sweet one-/your life will be just great./I'm going to be your grandpa, and-/I can hardly wait."

Topol, M. (2001, July 1). [Review of the book I already know I love you,

        by B. Crystal]. School Library Journal 56(1).  Retrieved from

        http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com

Kirkus Reviews

“Another celebrity author misses his audience. Undistinguished soft pastels help to tell the rhyming story that begins by depicting a graying man listening at the bulging womb of a young woman (his daughter) and stating, "I'm going to be your grandpa!" Picture-book readers will not identify with the adult perspective and the logic of activities, which has the child sliding into bases and later reverting to bouncing on Grandfather's knee. Young readers will also have difficulty relating to the idea that grandfather is waiting as the baby (sometimes a boy and sometimes a girl, sometimes big and sometimes little) is already in the pictures. And the rhymes are just atrocious. A much better choice would be Harriet Ziefert's Waiting for Baby (1998). (Picture book. 4-8)”

Gross, J. (2001, May 1). [Review of the book I already know I love you, by
     
         B. Crystal]. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com

Uses within the library setting:

      1. Allow students to invite their grandpa to school.  Choose one grandpa to reread aloud for your students.  After reading the story, provide time for each invited guest to share photos of their personal stories about spending time with their grandchildren.

      2. After reading the story, allow students to create a temporary “grandpa” section within the library to highlight photos.  Have students matte photos of their favorite times with their grandpa to add to the “grandpa” section.  Pull other stories about grandpas from within your collection to display along with the photos.

Book Cover: Courtesy of Mansfield Public Library. Retrieved from http://
        www.mansfield-tx.gov/departments/library/

Module 1: I Loved You Before You Were Born by Anne Bowen

Summary: 
I Loved You Before You Were Born is a touching tale of a grandmother’s love for her unborn grandchild.  Anne Bowen takes readers on a journey of this grandmother’s love through the imagination of how the new baby looks both as a newborn and as the child grows.  The story concludes with the realization of the grandmother’s love as she holds her new grandchild in her cozy arms.  Greg Shed provides beautiful realistic pictures to enhance the gentle kindness of the story.

Citation:
Bowen, A. (2001). I loved you before you were born. New York, NY:
    
         Harper Collins.

My Impression:  
I was moved by the emotional heart strings that are pulled through the tremendous love of a grandmother and her grandchild.  As a mother of three, I can relate to the grandma in the story as she awaits the arrival of her grandchild.  I can feel her joy and hope that I might someday have the same joy in my life as my children have children of their own.

Professional Reviews:

School Library Journal

This gentle story celebrates the love of a grandmother for her new grandchild.  The opening refrain, “Even before you were born, “ is repeated throughout the text, coupled with “ I loved-,” “I wondered-,” “I imagined-.”  The sense of waiting and anticipation is almost tangible, and many of these hope-for-events come to fruition in the illustrations.  Shed’s full-page images are set opposite warm, pastel text pages.  The realistic yet soft-edged paintings convey the loving intimacy of family, and perfectly complement the joyful text, which is sweet without being saccharine.  A perfect gift for a grandchild and lovely for sharing one-on-one.”


Gibson, R. (2001, July 1). [Review of the book I loved you before you were
    
         born, by A. Bowen] School Library Journal 46(1). Retrieved from

         http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com

Booklist

“Ages 3-5. A grandmother talks to her newborn grandchild, recalling her thoughts while she waited for the baby's birth, imagining the baby's "soft sighs and sweet smells" and first smile. As she makes a flannel blanket, she wonders if her grandchild will carry it everywhere as the baby's father had carried his. She thinks about reading to the baby, singing lullabies, and celebrating birthdays. Finally, Baby arrives, and grandma's anticipation culminates in the final refrain, "I loved you even before you were born." This is a sweet one-on-one book for grandmothers and young grandchildren to share. The handsome art, thick paint on textured paper, radiates warmth and love in uncluttered, true-to-life reflections of a new baby welcomed into a loving home.”

Mandel, Ellen (2001, July 1). [Review of the book I loved you before 

         
         you were born, by A. Bowen] Booklist. Retrieved from
         
         http://www.booklistonline.com 

Uses within the library setting:

1. After reading the story to you class, schedule a day for grandparents to be invited for a brunch during library time.  Reread the story to each group and allow grandparents to share written notes of love that were prepared ahead of time.

2. After reading the story to your class, have children create a Grandma and/or Grandpa poem for Grandparent’s Day.  Provide creative paper, cut-outs and writing materials to promote creativity.

Book Cover: Retrieved from Mansfield Public Library: Mansfield, Texas:
       http://www.mansfield-tx.gov/departments/library