I'LL CARRY YOU

A story of the things—tangible and intangible—that we carry.

In gently rhyming text, Docherty lists the things that children can hold: a pebble from the beach, a beloved teddy bear, a watering can filled to the brim. But each item is so much more than the sum of its parts. The pebble is full of memories “of sea and sand,” the bear offers an opportunity to care for a beloved friend, and the watering can gives youngsters the chance to nourish thirsty plants. And we can’t touch some of the things we carry—hope, a memory, worry. “We can carry each other through difficult days,” continues the unseen narrator, who appears to be an adult soothing a child. “So when you are feeling a little bit blue, you know it’s okay…because I’ll carry YOU.” With its comforting message, the text feels like a tender lullaby. Complementing the story, the bright, scribbly illustrations feature children and adults who vary in skin tone and hair color and style. Magro finds creative ways to convey abstract concepts, using a knotted tangle of black lines to represent worry and soaring birds to symbolize hope. In a world that can feel harsh and overwhelming, this is a soft landing place to buoy young readers through tough times.

Deeply meaningful and uplifting.