Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Wed Dec 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

A mother marvels at her young son.With dark flowing hair and deep complexion, the mother lovingly cradles her sleeping baby (both are Asian-presenting). Observing the infant's hair, she notices it "feels like / dandelion fluff against my fingers." She hopes that the same hair will "tumble across your head" while he embarks on adventures one day. We see the little one a few years older now, wearing a pair of wings and leading a boat through foam-crested waves. Next, readers again see the smiling infant as the mother observes how his tiny feet "feel like warm rolls / wrapped in the palms of my hands." The next scene depicts the boy as a toddler tentatively testing the waters on a beach as the mother advises him to "Take your time, sweet boy. / Your courage will be born through fear." In another scene, the mother tells the hiking boy to "break through vines that bind old growth" and to remember "Your heart is a compass." Brimming with parental affection and whimsy, the narrative continues in the same vein. The mother's gentle observations of the boy's different traits are followed by her hopes and dreams for his future. Pray fills every inch with soft textures and colorful prints, creating stunning images that match the text's warmth. (This book was reviewed digitally.)An affirming and enchanting love letter from parent to child. (Picture book. 3-5)

ALA Booklist (Mon May 08 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

A mother's aspirations for her infant son are revealed in Ho's loving words and Pray's colorful illustrations, created using pencils, ink, watercolor, linoleum block prints, and Adobe Photoshop. The free-verse poem is narrated by a young mother to her "sweet boy." As the mother and son spend a day together from his rising until bedtime, she and the pictures convey what she believes he will learn and experience as he grows up. The words "one day" are repeated throughout as the new parent voices her desires for her son: "I hope," "I imagine," "I'm sure," "I dream," and "I know." Metaphors and similes pepper the lyrical text: "Your cheek is a pillow / pressed to my face / as we watch ourselves dance / in the mirror." The large illustrations stretch from margin to margin and reveal varying perspectives and movement, from flowing hair to billowing curtains to waves crashing along a shoreline. The heartfelt title will be welcomed by new parents as the narrator voices the universal dream of wishing the best in life for their newborn.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A mother marvels at her young son.With dark flowing hair and deep complexion, the mother lovingly cradles her sleeping baby (both are Asian-presenting). Observing the infant's hair, she notices it "feels like / dandelion fluff against my fingers." She hopes that the same hair will "tumble across your head" while he embarks on adventures one day. We see the little one a few years older now, wearing a pair of wings and leading a boat through foam-crested waves. Next, readers again see the smiling infant as the mother observes how his tiny feet "feel like warm rolls / wrapped in the palms of my hands." The next scene depicts the boy as a toddler tentatively testing the waters on a beach as the mother advises him to "Take your time, sweet boy. / Your courage will be born through fear." In another scene, the mother tells the hiking boy to "break through vines that bind old growth" and to remember "Your heart is a compass." Brimming with parental affection and whimsy, the narrative continues in the same vein. The mother's gentle observations of the boy's different traits are followed by her hopes and dreams for his future. Pray fills every inch with soft textures and colorful prints, creating stunning images that match the text's warmth. (This book was reviewed digitally.)An affirming and enchanting love letter from parent to child. (Picture book. 3-5)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Moving through a day—from morning wake-up to bedtime story—with an infant son, a narrating parent shares the dreams and hopes they carry for their child as he finds his way in the wider world. Ho’s evocative imagery (“Your feet feel like warm rolls/ wrapped in the palms of my hands”) and emotional, assured tone flow through lines that alternate between present and future scenes, depicting the bouncy baby of today and the growing child who will “embark on adventures,” develop courage, experience sadness, and join with others “in friendship// in love, in unity, in power.” Via kinetic images that blend pencil, ink, watercolor, and linoleum block prints, Pray maintains the rhythm of Ho’s envisioned journey in sweet portraits of the East Asian–cued duo twined with patterned domestic backgrounds and natural landscapes. It’s cozy and hopeful in all the best ways. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)