The Wonderful Things You Will Be

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Celebrate the dreams, acceptance, and love that parents have for their children . . . now and forever. This is the perfect heartfelt gift for kids of all ages, plus a great choice for baby showers, birthdays, graduations, and other new beginnings!

From brave and bold to creative and clever, Emily Winfield Martin's rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. With beautiful, lush illustrations and a stunning gatefold that opens at the end, this is a book that families will love reading over and over.

The Wonderful Things You Will Be has a loving and truthful message that will endure for lifetimes and makes a great gift to the ones you love for any occasion.

EMILY WINFIELD MARTIN sketches, paints, and stitches to create imaginary worlds and characters. She is the author/illustrator of The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer. Her store, The Black Apple, has been featured in national publications and on TV shows, including the New York Times and The Martha Stewart Show. Emily lives among the giant fir trees of Portland, Oregon, with her fellow adventurer, Josiah, and their cat Miette. Visit her online at BlackApple.typepad.com or Etsy.com/shop/theblackapple.

“Her children are so serious… and so unflappable… that they convey not just hope for the future, but a sense of manifest destiny.” — Publishers Weekly starred review

“Sweet but not saccharine and singsong but not forced, Martin's text is one that will invite rereadings as it affirms parental wishes for children while admirably keeping child readers at its heart.”
—Kirkus starred review

The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin is a tender, lyrical picture book that feels like a loving promise from parent to child. It is less a story with a traditional plot and more a warm reflection on childhood, imagination, and the endless possibilities that live inside every child. The book opens with a parent looking at a child and wondering what wonderful things that child will become. From that very first moment, the tone is gentle, hopeful, and full of affection. The message is simple but powerful: a child is not limited by what they are now, because they are always growing into someone new.

The book moves through a series of poetic thoughts about what a child might be like and what they might do as they grow. It imagines children being curious, brave, creative, kind, playful, and full of surprises. Rather than pushing one fixed idea of success, the book celebrates many different kinds of greatness. A child might become an artist, a builder, a helper, a thinker, a dreamer, or something entirely unexpected. The point is not to predict one exact future, but to honor the beauty of potential itself. That is what gives the book its emotional strength. It tells children that there is room for them to become exactly who they are meant to be.

What makes the book so moving is that it never sounds harsh, instructional, or demanding. It does not say children must achieve something specific in order to matter. Instead, it speaks with unconditional love. The parent in the book admires the child not because of what they have done, but because of who they already are and who they may become. That makes the book feel deeply comforting, especially for young readers who are still learning how to understand themselves. It offers reassurance that growing up is not about meeting someone else’s expectations, but about unfolding in one’s own time.

The illustrations play a major role in shaping the feeling of the book. Emily Winfield Martin’s artwork is soft, whimsical, and full of small details that invite quiet attention. The children in the illustrations often wear imaginative clothes and appear in dreamy, storybook-like scenes that give the pages a sense of magic. The colors are rich but gentle, which makes the whole book feel warm and nostalgic. The pictures do not just decorate the text; they expand it. They show children in a world where imagination feels natural and where everyday life and fantasy blend together easily. That visual style reinforces the book’s message that childhood is full of wonder.

Another important part of the book is that it speaks to both children and adults at the same time. A child can enjoy the beautiful pictures and the reassuring language, while an adult reading aloud may feel the emotional pull of the parent’s voice. Many parents see their own hopes, fears, and love reflected in the pages. The book captures that familiar feeling of looking at a child and wondering who they will become, while also accepting that the answer does not need to be rushed. It gives adults a way to express love that is future-focused but not controlling.

The book also stands out because it embraces individuality. It suggests that every child is unique, and that there has never been another person exactly like them. That idea is especially meaningful in a world where children often feel pressure to fit in or compare themselves to others. The book gently pushes back against that pressure by reminding readers that being different is not a weakness. It is part of what makes each child special. This message can be deeply empowering, because it tells children that their individuality is something to cherish rather than hide.

There is also a subtle sense of bravery in the book. Growing up can feel uncertain, and the future is always unknown. But the book presents that uncertainty as something beautiful rather than frightening. It suggests that the world is open, and that children can explore it with confidence, imagination, and heart. That gives the story an uplifting quality. It does not ignore the fact that life will change, but it treats change as a natural and exciting part of becoming oneself.

Overall, The Wonderful Things You Will Be is a heartfelt celebration of children, growth, and unconditional love. Its strength lies in its simplicity. It does not need a complicated plot because its message is already so full: children are full of promise, and they are loved for who they are, not only for what they may achieve. The combination of poetic language and beautiful illustrations makes the book feel timeless. It is the kind of picture book that can be read many times and still feel gentle, reassuring, and special. At its core, it is a love letter to possibility, and that is what makes it so memorable.