By Michael Leannah, illustrated by Dani Torrent – Familius, 2018
What we say to the very young can be life-changing, and the bonds we make, eternal. In Goodnight Whispers, a loving daddy whispers affirmations to his daughter as she falls asleep every night, reinforcing her best attributes. He tells her, “You are the most wonderful girl in the world.” The ritual cements her self-image and carries her through the challenges of her teenage years and beyond. The reader sees the girl become a woman, and the father, a man in later life. As an adult, the girl, now a mother, institutes this bedtime practice with her own child, and, yes, her aging father: “You are the most wonderful man in the world.” This sweet picture book is a treasure for anyone who would like to introduce positive images of aging to the very young.
