The Things I Love

By: Christina M. Carroll
Illustrated by: Jenny Slife
Publisher: The Orange Chair, LLC
Publication Date: June 1, 2024
ISBN: 979-8889740001
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: February 15, 2024

The love between parent and child is at the heart of The Things I Love, and I guarantee you will love reading this book to your child.

The story opens with a delightful picture of a mother and her son. The young boy is sitting up in bed, with a favorite book in his lap, while his mom lovingly shares the book with him. It’s quite apparent that both are absolutely enjoying the moment. The only text on the page appears at the bottom and is just two simple words, “At 10...” Turn the page and...

On the next page, we learn what the young boy liked to do when he was ten:

I loved experiments,
to play defense,
and camp in tents.

At the bottom of the page, we again have two simple words. This time, we’re told, “At 9The Things I Love

By: Christina M. Carroll
Illustrated by: Jenny Slife
Publisher: The Orange Chair, LLC
Publication Date: June 1, 2024
ISBN: 979-8889740001
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: February 15, 2024

The love between parent and child is at the heart of The Things I Love, and I guarantee you will love reading this book to your child.

The story opens with a delightful picture of a mother and her son. The young boy is sitting up in bed, with a favorite book in his lap, while his mom lovingly shares the book with him. It’s quite apparent that both are absolutely enjoying the moment. The only text on the page appears at the bottom and is just two simple words, “At 10...” Turn the page and...

On the next page, we learn what the young boy liked to do when he was ten:

I loved experiments,
to play defense,
and camp in tents.

At the bottom of the page, we again have two simple words. This time, we’re told, “At 9...” And so the story continues, with a countdown of each year, going backward from 10 to 1 of what the young protagonist likes to do. We see him camping, playing basketball, making a cake with his grandmother, and even digging for bugs. A delightful surprise awaits on the last page of what the young protagonist loves most. And it’s something that I guarantee will make the reader, both young and old, really appreciate as they nod in agreement.

The Things I Love is a simple book with limited text that makes it perfect as a bedtime story for very young children. We never learn the protagonist’s name, which works well for this story because his name isn’t important; it’s the love he shares with his mother and the adventures he shares with the reader that are the focus of the book. The artwork is delightful, detailed, and playful, and it’s clear that the author worked closely with the illustrator to bring to life a vision of a happy childhood full of love. The Things I Love is a fantastic debut book for author Christina M. Carroll and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for future books.

Quill says: The Things I Love is such a sweet book, one that will make you smile on every page and one you’ll want to read snuggled up with your child at bedtime, each and every night. ” And so the story continues, with a countdown of each year, going backward from 10 to 1 of what the young protagonist likes to do. We see him camping, playing basketball, making a cake with his grandmother, and even digging for bugs. A delightful surprise awaits on the last page of what the young protagonist loves most. And it’s something that I guarantee will make the reader, both young and old, really appreciate as they nod in agreement.

The Things I Love is a simple book with limited text that makes it perfect as a bedtime story for very young children. We never learn the protagonist’s name, which works well for this story because his name isn’t important; it’s the love he shares with his mother and the adventures he shares with the reader that are the focus of the book. The artwork is delightful, detailed, and playful, and it’s clear that the author worked closely with the illustrator to bring to life a vision of a happy childhood full of love. The Things I Love is a fantastic debut book for author Christina M. Carroll and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for future books.

Quill says: The Things I Love is such a sweet book, one that will make you smile on every page and one you’ll want to read snuggled up with your child at bedtime, each and every night.

For more information on The Things I Love, please visit the author's website at: theorangechair.com