Every Year on Your Birthday by Rose A. Lewis, Jane Dyer (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

In I Love You Like Crazy Cakes, Rose Lewis and Jane Dyer told the heartfelt story of one woman's adoption a baby girl from China. These sentiments are brought to life again in this touching portrait of birthday celebrations and unforgettable moments between a mother and her little girl: from joyous hugs for a new puppy, to quiet nights gazing at the stars remembering a faraway family. Capturing the richness of both Chinese and American cultures, Every Year on Your Birthday is a poignant tribute to the growing bond of love only a parent and child can know.

Publishers Weekly

In a follow-up to the account of her baby girl's adoption from China (I Love You Like Crazy Cakes), Lewis pays tribute to her now school-age daughter by remembering each of her birthdays. The text reads almost like a diary, the entries teeming with emotional and thoughtful observations: "Every year on your birthday, I think about the day you were born, how the sun must have shone, or the moon looked so bright." Expressive watercolors evoke vivid memories, from the patriotic cake marking the girl's American citizenship (at age two), to the joy on the child's face as her kite catches the wind on her third birthday. While the author celebrates their days together (including Chinese festivals), she also points out the moments of her daughter's life before they met. Here, her voice becomes more wistful ("I think about the six Chinese girls who shared a big room with you in China. They knew you before I did"). By story's end, readers see a matured parent, secure in her love for her child. What may have been intended as a memento for her daughter to treasure when she is older, has brought a now-seasoned mother full circle on her own personal journey. Ages 3-6. (May)

Children's Literature

This beautifully illustrated picture book returns to the mother-daughter pair in the award-winning book Love You Like Crazy Cakes. Author Rose Lewis adopted a baby girl from China; she reflects on their life together, detailing the special activities they enjoy each year on her daughter's birthday. From getting her first puppy to watching the dragon boat festival, the book is a lovely balance of American and Chinese traditions, without being weighed down by explanatory information. Jane Dyer's gentle watercolor illustrations convey the tenderness of the bond between mother and child, and show the baby grow from a toddler to an active five year old, smiling as she explores the world around her. Though far away, the duo remembers with fondness the babies in China who shared her room, and the family who loved her so much they gave her up to make her new life possible. All families who adopt will be able to relate to this tale of childhood milestones and gratitude for the blessings of family, but the universal appeal of this quiet tale of the parent-child bond is unmistakable.

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