Things to Look Forward to - (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Everyone needs things to look forward to-big things and small things, on good days and on bad days; things that will buoy our spirits and make us laugh and help us feel alive. In these pages, beloved author and illustrator Sophie Blackall has gathered a collection of joyful things for all of us: things that are always there if we look for them, like the sun coming up; things we can do if the sun is behind a cloud, like baking for other people or drawing a face on an egg; and things that can happen when we least expect them, like falling in love. Funny, compassionate, and sometimes even wise, Blackall-through personal stories, paintings, and a list of 52 Things to Look Forward To-offers us a handbook on how to make the most of our time here on Earth. There is always something bright on the horizon, and sometimes the horizon is closer than we think"--

Book Synopsis

Everyone needs things to look forward to: big things and small things, on good days and on bad days, whether we actively create delight for ourselves or simply allow it to enter our lives.

In these pages, beloved author and illustrator Sophie Blackall has gathered a collection of joys for all of us--reminders of everyday magic, like the sun coming up and new babies being born. With wisdom, whimsy, and compassion, the 52 illustrated ideas in this book offer moments of uplift and serendipity for yourself and your loved ones. Suggestions range from baking muffins for a friend to drawing a face on an egg and putting it in the fridge where it will smile at you each time you open the door.

A message of hope and solace in hard times and of joyful anticipation at times of new beginnings--whether you're grieving a loss or starting a new chapter, and for all the days in between--Things to Look Forward To is full of gentle reminders of the objects, occasions, gestures, and ideas that warm our hearts. There is always something bright on the horizon, and sometimes that horizon can be a lot closer than we think.

BELOVED AUTHOR: Sophie Blackall is a world-renowned, two-time Caldecott Award-winning children's book author and illustrator. Whether your kids grew up with Ivy & Bean and If You Come to Earth, or you're discovering Blackall's empathetic voice and gorgeous artwork for the first time, you're sure to fall in love with her new book for adults and folks of all ages.

UPLIFTING AND HOPEFUL: Sometimes in life we all need a little reassurance that things will get better--this book offers just that, and so much more. It reminds us that while looking forward is important, sometimes we can take matters into our own hands and create our own joy when we need it most.

THE PERFECT PRESENT: More than just a promise of solace in tough times, Things to Look Forward To is also a celebration of joyful new beginnings--after all, who has more to look forward to than parents of new babies, or recent grads? You'll want to give this book to the grieving and the embarking alike. Perfect for new moms, new graduates, those going through breakups or suffering a loss, and anyone who could use a little extra joy in life just because.

Perfect for:

• Parents (or aunts, uncles, or grandparents) who have bought Sophie Blackall's books for their children and fallen in love with her artwork
• Fans of motivational books about self-love and self-compassion by authors like Brené Brown, Glennon Doyle, Tara Brach, and Elizabeth Gilbert
• People looking for a way to express sympathy with someone who is struggling or grieving
• Those going through hard times and those experiencing joyous life events

Review Quotes

"Things to Look Forward To serves as a kind of guide to living on a planet that is, at once, filled with pain and pleasure.... Blackall's own story unfolds over the course of the book, as each item on her list offers a graceful invitation to pay attention to the small moments that make a life." --Cup of Jo

"A full moon, a new word, coffee . . . children's book illustrator Blackall shares some of her favorite small pleasures, reminding grown-ups there's always something good ahead." --People

"Infused with whimsy and hope, each page serves as a heartening reminder that even the smallest moments can be rewarding. This is the perfect pick-me-up."--Publishers Weekly

"What makes the book so wondrous is that each seemingly mundane thing on the list shimmers with an aspect of the miraculous, each fragment of the personal opens into the universal, each playful wink at life grows wide-eyed with poignancy." --The Marginalian

"You can't page through this book without feeling a renewed sense of appreciation for the everyday." --BookPage

About the Author

Sophie Blackall is an Australian illustrator based in New York. Blackall has illustrated more than forty children's books, including Finding Winnie, for which she won the 2016 Randolph Caldecott Medal, and Hello Lighthouse, which won the Caldecott Medal in 2019. She is the illustrator of the long-running Ivy & Bean series of early reader chapter books, and the author of the picture book If You Come to Earth, also from Chronicle Books.