Here are 93 books that Because You're Mine fans have personally recommended if you like
Because You're Mine.
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When I started writing children’s stories in 2018, I never would've guessed that my first book would be about rainbow babies. I hadn’t even heard of the term until I miscarried the following year. As I grieved the baby we would never hold, I used writing to work through the mess of emotions I felt: pain, disappointment, sorrow… until the words “Dear Rainbow Baby” appeared. My husband and I didn’t know if we could or would have a rainbow baby, yet, writing a letter filled me with hope that one day she would come. We recently celebrated our daughter’s second birthday, and the publication of my first picture book Dear Rainbow Baby.
The first thing I noticed about this book was its simple black, white, and red illustrations. They are simple and clean and add so much to the book’s message. While the text doesn’t explicitly mention rainbow babies, parents who have endured previous losses will resonate with its beautiful refrain: it had to be you.
This sweet and playful board book features bold, high-contrast black-and-white illustrations that babies can actually see!
In simple, beautiful verse, bestselling Feminist Baby creator and two-time Emmy Award winner Loryn Brantz narrates the journey that parents take to have their perfect little one.
New York magazine's The Strategist chose It Had to Be You as one of the "Best (Nonobvious) Baby Books to Bring to a Shower." As The Strategist stated: "Because of its high-contrast color scheme (with red accents), it's easy for babies to see the illustrations. Plus, the lyrical text is a love poem to the child that's…
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
When I started writing children’s stories in 2018, I never would've guessed that my first book would be about rainbow babies. I hadn’t even heard of the term until I miscarried the following year. As I grieved the baby we would never hold, I used writing to work through the mess of emotions I felt: pain, disappointment, sorrow… until the words “Dear Rainbow Baby” appeared. My husband and I didn’t know if we could or would have a rainbow baby, yet, writing a letter filled me with hope that one day she would come. We recently celebrated our daughter’s second birthday, and the publication of my first picture book Dear Rainbow Baby.
Welcome to the Party takes a different twist on bringing home a baby by likening the event to a party. The rhyming text makes it an easy read aloud for parents and caregivers while the illustrations add heart and humor. The book has wide appeal for anyone reading to a new baby but will be especially meaningful to parents of rainbow babies.
Praised by fan favorites including Hoda Kotb, Kim & Khloe Kardashian, and Jimmy Fallon!
Inspired by the eagerly awaited birth of her daughter, Kaavia James Union Wade, New York Times bestselling author and award-winning actress Gabrielle Union pens a festive and universal love letter from parents to little ones, perfect for welcoming a baby to the party of life!
Reminiscent of favorites such as The Wonderful Things You'll Be by Emily Winfield Martin, I've Loved You Since Forever by Hoda Kotb, and Take Heart, My Child by Ainsley Earhardt, Welcome to the Party is an upbeat celebration of new life…
When I started writing children’s stories in 2018, I never would've guessed that my first book would be about rainbow babies. I hadn’t even heard of the term until I miscarried the following year. As I grieved the baby we would never hold, I used writing to work through the mess of emotions I felt: pain, disappointment, sorrow… until the words “Dear Rainbow Baby” appeared. My husband and I didn’t know if we could or would have a rainbow baby, yet, writing a letter filled me with hope that one day she would come. We recently celebrated our daughter’s second birthday, and the publication of my first picture book Dear Rainbow Baby.
The artwork in this book brought tears to my eyes. Gillian perfectly captured the poignant text with her gorgeous illustrations. I love how both the text and the art reflect the whirlwind of emotions people feel after suffering a loss. While the experience is unique, Frankie’s words bring the universal emotions to light and remind parents they are not alone in their grief.
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
When I started writing children’s stories in 2018, I never would've guessed that my first book would be about rainbow babies. I hadn’t even heard of the term until I miscarried the following year. As I grieved the baby we would never hold, I used writing to work through the mess of emotions I felt: pain, disappointment, sorrow… until the words “Dear Rainbow Baby” appeared. My husband and I didn’t know if we could or would have a rainbow baby, yet, writing a letter filled me with hope that one day she would come. We recently celebrated our daughter’s second birthday, and the publication of my first picture book Dear Rainbow Baby.
This book hardly needs an introduction! It has sold over a million copies worldwide, and for good reason. The most recently released version with art by Eve Tharlet is absolutely lovely. Rich with beautiful imagery and touching text, this book brings a religious element to having a baby. What I love most about this book is that the story can be read to a child of any age, from baby to toddler to kid because its message resonates with every age group.
This book assures children of God's love through all their experiences--including during hard times such as being afraid of the dark or being bullied--and gives assurance that their parent was there when they were first born and will be with them in heaven.
From New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado comes Just in Case You Ever Wonder, the classic children's book that has made its way into hearts and story times around the world. This award-winning book about the love between a parent and child
has sold 1.7 million copies, touching lives for more than 25 years;
reminds children…
I strive to help children not only accept but also celebrate their own uniqueness. For a long time, we were told that same-sex relationships and gender non-conformity were not natural because they don’t occur in animals. When I began to research same-sex behavior in animals, I learned this couldn’t be further from the truth. Same-sex behaviors have been found in almost every species that has been extensively studied. I knew I could create a fun, gentle, child-friendly introduction to these concepts that challenges the notion that LGBTQ+ behaviors are unnatural.
I have a Master's in biology with a focus on conservation through storytelling.
This is almost the direct human counterpart to my book Love in the Wild, even starting with the same “Love is…” It celebrates love through everyday acts of kindness, compassion, and togetherness.
The book highlights diverse families through the illustrations only, as there is no need to mention different types of families in the text. It doesn’t matter who is in a family because it is love that makes a family a family.
This fun, inclusive board book celebrates the one thing that makes every family a family . . . and that's LOVE.
Love is baking a special cake. Love is lending a helping hand. Love is reading one more book. In this exuberant board book, many different families are shown in happy activity, from an early-morning wake-up to a kiss before bed. Whether a child has two moms, two dads, one parent, or one of each, this simple preschool read-aloud demonstrates that what's most important in each family's life is the love the family members share.
About thirty years ago, I spent three months on an Indo-American Fellowship in Varanasi taking notes on daily life in this holy city where my novel Sister India is set. That winter felt like a separate life within my life, a bonus. Because all there was so new to me, and it was unmediated by cars, television, or computers, I felt while I was there so much more in touch with the physical world, what in any given moment I could see, hear, smell…. It was the way I had felt as a child, knowing close-up particular trees and shrubs, the pattern of cracks in a sidewalk.
The sensory quality of stories of India is inevitable because the country itself is so vividly alive to all the senses. And Hinduism, the predominant religion, is, more than other religions, expressed in physical images and rituals. Suri’s novel treats motherhood in particular in finely observed physical detail, conveying the emotions so well through the senses. A reader irresistibly immerses in the story.
The Age of Shiva is at once a powerful story of a country in turmoil and an "unflinchingly honest" portrait of maternal love-"intricately interwoven with the ancient rites and myths" (Booklist) crucial to India's history. Meera, the narrator, is seventeen years old when she catches her first glimpse of Dev, performing a song so infused with passion that it arouses in her the first flush of erotic longing. She wonders if she can steal him away from Roopa, her older, more beautiful sister, who has brought her along to see him. It is only when her son is born that…
I'm a picture book author living in Los Angeles with my husband and two children. I love seeing the world through my children’s eyes and began writing stories for and inspired by them after they were born. Watching their relationships flourish with their grandparents and the grown-ups in their lives inspired me to write books that celebrate family and foster connection. My grandmas both live overseas and I treasure the time I spend with them. Just like my own children, the simplest moments together are the ones I hold onto and carry with me the most. I love books that celebrate these magical relationships and hope these books encourage readers to celebrate their own relationships.
It can be hard when our loved ones have to travel, but as Love, Mama shows, love stretches across distances when we can’t be right next to one another. Love, Mama features Kipling, a young penguin who is sad when his mother has to travel, he knows that she will come back but can’t help missing her. He tries to replace her with pillow Mama but it just isn’t the same. A heartwarming reminder of how strong a Mother’s love for her child is and the perfect gift for the traveling working mama this Mother’s Day.
When Mama leaves her young penguin, Kipling, he knows she'll return home soon - yet he still can't help but miss her. After all, Pillow Mama won't read, Picture Mama won't laugh, and Snow Mama is too cold to cuddle. But then Kipling receives a special delivery from Mama, including a note that reads: My love for you stretches across the wide ocean, through day and night, from earth to sky and back again. And Kipling knows that no matter where Mama is, he is loved. Soon, Mama comes home, and Kipling ends the day where he belongs - right…
As an internationally respected discipline expert, I guide parents in how to get more compliance than defiance from their little ones. I coined the phrase “The Dance of Non-Compliance” between parent and child. In order to change the dance, the parent will usually have to change his/her dance step first. It is often impossible during the heat of the moment, to teach ‘the lesson’ to the child due to the agitated emotional state of both parent and child. A well-executed picture book, appropriately written and illustrated for young children's developmental thinking ability, can open the door for a meaningful discussion regarding their misbehavior and feelings.
Today separation and divorce is common and moms and dads wonder how much explaining is appropriate for their 2- to 6-year old. As a preschool teacher, I found this the very best picture book available to read over and over to give children a positive glimpse of living in two happy, healthy, albeit different homes. There is not a drop of negativity in this book. It is totally upbeat, simple, honest, and encouraging. The main character, Alex (neither male nor female in name nor illustration) is quite comfortable and thankful for his two homes as Alex points out the differences. But, the one most important thing that remains the same is that Alex is loved by both Mom and Dad all the time, no matter whose house he is at. The positive focus is on what is gained and unique at each home rather than what is lost when parents…
A comforting, reassuring and sensitive portrayal of divorce.
In this award-winning picture book classic about divorce, Alex has two homes - a home where Daddy lives and a home where Mummy lives. Alex has two front doors, two bedrooms and two very different favourite chairs. He has a toothbrush at Mummy's and a toothbrush at Daddy's. But whether Alex is with Mummy or Daddy, one thing stays the same: Alex is loved by them both - always. This gently reassuring story focuses on what is gained rather than what is lost when parents divorce, while the sensitive illustrations, depicting two…
My father died in 2020 during the pandemic so Father’s Day has taken on a new importance to me as far as reminding people to spend time with the people they love before they are gone. I had started to write a story about my dad and his childhood days before he went to the hospital, and with the help of his friend, was able to complete it for the family to have as a keepsake. I encourage kids to ask questions of their parents and for parents to write down or audio record the stories that they want to pass down. Children’s books and journals are a great way to start the conversation.
I love good rhyming books and this one works! Plus there is a heart-warming refrain that especially gets me at the end of the story. “Of all the children that ever could be, you are the one made just for me.” It’s about a father who adores his new baby from its soft, tiny hands to all the cute things the child does. The illustrations depict a very large, round father who reminds me of a gentle Paul Bunyan. I could see it as a baby shower gift for dads.
National Best Seller: Made For Me Over 2000 5-star Amazon reviews Of all the children that ever could be, You are the one made just for me.
From a child's first uttered "Dada" to his or her first unsteady steps, nothing can adequately convey the joy and awe of watching the birth and growth of a new child. Now releasing as a board book filled with adorable illustrations and the refrain, "You are the one made just for me," Made for Me is a winning presentation of tender moments that tie a father and his new child together--forever.
I’ve been passionate about teaching kindness and good manners since becoming a parent. Raising three energetic kids has shown me firsthand how small lessons in empathy and respect can shape their world. At first, I created fun stories to help my children understand the power of simple words like "please" and "thank you." Now, as a children’s book author, I bring those lessons to life through storytelling, making manners and values fun and memorable. The books on this list have inspired me in my journey, and I hope they bring the same joy and guidance to you and your little ones!
I love this book because it beautifully captures the endless possibilities of a child’s future with warmth and imagination. The poetic rhythm and dreamy illustrations make it a joy to read aloud, and every time I do, I feel a wave of hope and love. It’s the kind of book that makes you pause and appreciate the magic of childhood.
What really stuck with me is how it celebrates individuality without pressure—just pure encouragement wrapped in gentle words. It’s a book that I know children will carry in their hearts as they grow, and as a parent, it reminds me of the wonder of watching little ones discover who they are. If you want a book that feels like a warm hug, this is it.
The New York Times bestseller that celebrates the dreams, acceptance, and love that parents have for their children . . . now and forever. This is the perfect heartfelt gift for kids of all ages, plus a great choice for baby showers, birthdays, graduations, and other new beginnings!
From brave and bold to creative and clever, Emily Winfield Martin's rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. With beautiful, lush illustrations and a stunning gatefold that opens at the end, this is a book that families will love reading over and…
