On the Night Before You Turn One

Kristie Graves lives in Alberta with her husband and three small children. She is a bedtime story reader extraordinaire and can be found rocking and reading her littles to sleep long into the night because she can’t ever say no to “one more story, please.” Her favorite thing in the world is being a mother, and her least favorite is how fast it all goes. This is her first children’s book. Gregorio De Lauretis studied at the Academy of Art in Florence and graduated in Teramo. Since then, he has studied graphic design and web design at Nemo NT Academy of Digital Arts, where he awarded a scholarship from the famous character designer Stephen Silver. Gregory works digitally but begins with drawing with ink on paper. He then scans the work on his computer where he exalts the piece with his colors and finishing touches. He currently works as a freelance illustrator based in Florence, where he lives. “Imagination is my world. Illustration is my language.”

"Few milestones are as emotional as a child’s 1st birthday. . . . Told in gentle verse, this sweet, contemplative tale is aimed more at parents than youngsters. It captures the dueling emotions that many caregivers experience—pride at seeing their little ones mature, mingled with wistfulness for those early days. The illustrations, created with a warm, muted palette, depict vignettes of a brown-skinned parent and child, charting the little one’s growth from a tiny baby to a toddler taking first steps and helping out in the kitchen. An ideal baby shower or first birthday gift—though this one’s definitely meant for the parents."