Before, Now

Praise

★ “Employing a quiet, unadorned narrative voice and softly burnished colored pencil illustrations, Salmieri muses about how life is made up of paradoxes and opposites.  . . This intergenerational portrait slowly suggests the way moments can provide anchors and recur—it’s a ‘whoa’ kind of idea pitched at just the right level for the target audience.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ ”Salmieri delivers a moving intergenerational story using opposites as its central conceit . . . [with] an immensely satisfying, full-circle conclusion.” —Horn Book, starred review

“A series of moments, mundane and meaningful, capture the wonder of a life well lived . . . This play between text and illustration will engage young readers, while the journey through familiar beats of life is sure to tug at caretakers’ heartstrings . . . This meditation on the patterns of life shines with reminders of what we carry with us as we grow.” —Kirkus

“The colored-pencil-on-paper artwork employs a full palette of mostly muted hues displayed on richly textured full-page spreads. A satisfying look at a life well lived.” —Booklist

★ ”The story is simple yet profound, connecting elements of nature, city life, park walks, and scenes where human empathy develops as we grow with the image of a dog hoping to be adopted. It is ideal for engaging with children for a sensory story time at the emotional and age-appropriate intellectual level. A biography-like picture book that invites children to feel, sense, and respond to textual clues.” —School Library Journal, starred review