Any child has reason to feel a range of emotions when his or her family is expecting the arrival of a new baby. From excitement to worry; joy and apprehension; each family member will go through a roller coaster of emotions brought by this change. To walk with children in this journey with compassion and love can be tough for parents.
In I Can't Wait to Love You Forever, Patricia Eckerman Ambas, writes about a young mother easing her child, Benjamin, into a life changing event. He is in a state of emotional distress because of a baby on the way. This is expressed in the colors of the illustrations. A pewter colored blanket, a gray backdrop, pink and cream colored clothes are indicative of such emotions. Needless to say, the child who will soon become an older sibling is need of care, attention and a safe space to be as much as the new born baby.
In Filipino, the word "kuya" for older brother and "ate" for older sister come to mind. Being a kuya or ate entails a big responsibility as well as honor, especially in Asian families where birthright is a position of pride as well. Having a new baby in the family and siblings assuming new roles can be a lot to take.
Eckerman Ambas took care of these issues in a loving and playful manner. This is her first book for children and she has already shown respect for the emotional and mental health of children. Congratulations and Mabuhay!
About the Author
Patricia Eckerman Ambas loves sharing stories - everything is a story waiting to be told! Her interest in languages led her to become a teacher and she has been striving to instill her love for reading with youth for over fifteen years in that role. As a mom of three, bedtime and really, anytime-stories fill her world. She also shares stories with her community in Oshkosh, WI as she showcases the stories of her husband's family heritage while teaching guests at their family restaurant about Filipino food.
Displaying beautiful multicultural families in her book, illustrations is at the forefront of her goals as an author in order to allow her own children, and others like them, a mirror of mixed families and a window for other children to see into a different lifestyle from their own. I Can't Wait to Love You Forever is her first children's book and she hopes you have as much fun with it as her second child had inventing the actual game played. Look for more heartfelt books coming soon.
Find her online:
PatriciaEckermanAmbas.com
https://www.instagram.com/patriciaeckermanambas/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090573001629
I Can't Wait to Love You Forever
Publisher: WordLife Press
ISBN-10: 1958497010
ISBN-13: 978-1958497012
ASIN: B09W69TT11
Print length: 36 pages
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