The Journey to You

By: Payton Lynch
Illustrated by: Siski Kalla
Publisher: Poppy Oak Press
Publication Date: May 1, 2025
ISBN: 979-8987586693
Reviewed by: Lily Andrews
Review Date: May 1, 2025

The Journey to You is a charming, calm, and beautiful children's picture book by Payton Lynch that features not just a sweet children's story but a deeply emotional, poetic reflection on what it means to become a parent—the hope, the longing, the struggle, and the overwhelming love that comes when a child is finally in her parent's arms.

It isn’t a typical picture book with a plot and characters. It reads more like a lyrical promise, a quiet but powerful declaration of love from a parent to a child. Every page is a metaphor for the journey to parenthood—“I’d climb a mountain with bare feet,” “I’d cross the hottest desert sand,” “I’d search for you forevermore.” It’s not about literal places or challenges but rather the feeling of waiting, wishing and enduring, all for the chance to hold the eagerly anticipated bundle of joy.

Readers will love how universal it feels. Whether their child came through birth, adoption, surrogacy, or something else, the message remains the same: “I would have done anything to get to you.” And that’s a sentiment that hits deep, especially for parents who didn’t take the easy road to get there. The writing is gentle and soothing—perfect for reading aloud, even to the youngest babies. It flows like a lullaby, and you can feel the love in every line. But it’s the kind of book that might leave you, the parent, more teary-eyed than your child. And that’s okay. Some stories are for both of you, even if the little one doesn’t fully grasp it yet.

Siski Kalla’s illustrations are breathtaking. Soft colors, dreamy landscapes, and beautifully emotive scenes that match the emotional tone of the text perfectly. Kalla ably makes one feel like they are stepping into a dream where every page brings them closer to the heart of the story—and to the child at the center of it all.

Quill says: The Journey to You is one of those books families can read over and over. It’s also a perfect gift for new parents, especially those who have experienced loss, long waits, or an unconventional path to parenthood. It isn’t just for kids, but also for the grown-ups who fought to become parents, who held onto hope through hard seasons, and who now look at their child and think, “You were worth every step.”