School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

PreS-Gr 1-A young girl names all her favorite things as she joyfully lives out her days. "This is my favorite mud, my favorite rain." Other treasured objects include a worm and a paper boat. Mostly, the girl loves these things because they are what she is experiencing in the moment. For example, of the several holes she's dug, her favorite is "the one [she] is digging" now. Her favorite cloud is the one she's watching. But the child's favorite "now" of all is the one she is enjoying as she reads a book with her mom. Depicted in flat paintings outlined in thick ink and digitally colored, the illustrations sometimes depict just parts of the narrator. For instance, only her legs and feet are shown as they squelch in her favorite mud. Just her hands reach up from the bottom of the page, revealing her favorite worm. A striking, larger-than-life image in a spread (and on the cover) shows the girl holding a red leaf in front of her face. Portis uses color brilliantly, matching the youngster's clothing to the scenes and objects around her: the pale blue of the wind echoed in her skirt and top, brown striped pants above mud-covered feet, two-toned green shirt and pants matching the two shades of her favorite tree. VERDICT This childlike ode to the delights of living each moment to the fullest is an absolute charmer and, like Portis's Wait, may even encourage adults to notice and relish the world around them. An essential purchase for group and individual sharing.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Portis (Best Frints in the Whole Universe) writes in the voice of a girl who knows what it means to live in the moment. "This is my favorite breeze," she says, her eyes closed with delight. "This is my favorite leaf," she continues as Portis shows her in closeup, peeping over the edge of a brilliant red leaf. She looks as if she's in the countryside, but she might be in a city park. "This is my favorite hole (this one) because it's the one I am digging," she explains, from deep in the sand. The girl's freedom from supervision, schedules, and electronic devices are unspoken pleasures. Portis's bold black outlines and swashes of muted color show a girl who's strong and independent. "And this is my favorite now, because it's the one I am having with you," the girl finishes, as she reads a book on her mother's lap. Portis invites children to ask themselves what gives them joy, making it clear that favorite things needn't be logical, and can be simple, silly, and fleeting. Ages 3-6. Agent: Deborah Warren, East West Literary. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

*Starred Review* In this lovely picture book about everyday moments worth cherishing, a young girl shares some of her favorite things: This is my favorite breeze. / This is my favorite leaf. / This is my favorite hole because it's the one I am digging. Relishing the present, she shares experiences that may appear inconsequential to some, but to her, each circumstance is deeply special. Her favorite things include singing, watching the clouds, playing in the rain, and smelling a flower, all culminating in spending storytime in her mother's lap. With a comforting refrain and plenty of familiar scenes, this pleasant, warm story of mindfulness and small joys will resonate with lots of little ones. Portis' graceful, straightforward lines are the perfect complement to her bold, richly hued illustrations. Thick, ink-brushed outlines make her genial figures stand out sharply against the simple backgrounds, and the variety of facial expressions effortlessly communicates the young girl's carefree happiness. While the story itself is simple, just like the moments the little girl values, Portis' picture book contains Zen-like depth, and she taps into a uniquely childlike kind of wonder about the world. Cozy and subtly profound, this is perfect for one-on-one sharing.--Lock, Anita Copyright 2017 Booklist

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A young girl lives in the moment, her mindfulness of the world distilled into a list of favorite things whose ephemerality she celebrates now. Running barefoot in the grass, a cinnamon-complexioned girl meets the breeze with open arms. Readers are swept up by the girl's joy as the text exclaims, "This is my favorite breeze." With the same enthusiasm, she shares a burnished red leaf, a puddle of mud, and a flower's scent. For this auburn-haired child, the natural world is full of wonder and beauty; and nothing is so gratifying as what is being done now. Repetition of the simple sentence structure makes for a perfect read-along as the author creates a lovely rhythm layered with meaning. When the girl's list moves from outside to inside, a similar progression is made from the external world to the internal. The pajama-clad girl hugs her cat, stares up at the moon, and reads a book with her caregiver. What seems to have been a collection of simple thoughts now leads to a profound revelationthat the child fully appreciates this time with her loved one. Text and art enhance each other, both like an East Asian sumi-e painting: deceivingly simple but highly sophisticated, every mark with meaning and purpose. Portis perfectly captures how children experience the world, the immediacy and magic of it all; exuberant and quiet, simple and complex, and extremely satisfying. (Picture book. 2-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.