I actually read this last week, but I wasn't going to review it, because it's a picture book, and I don't usually count those. But then I recollected that I had chosen it as one of the possible books for my 'give Nell's teachers a book to sign every year for her whole childhood' project, so I should actually look it over with an eye for that project.

Basically, this is a gorgeous book. The text is Kipling's deservedly-famous poem 'If,' written as advice for his pubescent son. It's such a well-worn poem that the words in it can feel a little trite, a little syrupy, but one of the strengths of this book is that by breaking it up into short digestible lines, their simple wisdom can actually be absorbed. It's a wonderful poem, and the advice which it gives is extremely good, acknowledging some of the ugliest parts of adulthood while advocating strength, generosity, patience, and self-assurance. The fact that the end is addressed to 'my son' doesn't bother me in the slightest, because Kipling DID write it for his son. (We can argue that he should have written equally inspiring words for his daughter, but whatever.) The advice is just as useful for girls.

Giovanni Manna's watercolor illustrations are incredible and improve and focus the experience of the lyrics a great deal. My only concern about this book is that, for the project I have in mind, it might not have enough white space for teacher notes. It would depend on whether one was okay with writing over some of the 'background' sections of the watercolor paintings, or not. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I want a copy of this book for our collection, in any case.