We Needed a You

This exquisite picture book melds tender rhyming words with expressively layered artwork to deliver a profound message of comfort and belonging every child needs to hear: The world is more magnificent with YOU in it!

"Before you were here, there were people to love… to hold hands with and dance with and be with and hug. There were good friends and best friends and family too. But something was missing. We needed a you." —An excerpt from We Needed a You

Let a little one know how much they matter, and celebrate how the world became a more vibrant place as soon as they arrived.

Written by award-winning children's book author M.H. Clark, each page of this poetic book is a chance to connect with a child and tell them how deeply loved they are. Colorful illustrations invite readers to experience how their presence makes home cozier, days brighter, and ordinary moments fuller and more complete in countless ways.

Gift the book to welcome a new baby, celebrate an adoptive family, or enhance a child's library.

M.H. Clark is a poet and writer who has received multiple awards, including the Washington State Book Award and two Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. She has traveled the world and lived in many wonderful places--but she believes she belongs most of all in a little house with a large library, someplace where the forest meets the sea.

Olivia Holden is an illustrator based in West Yorkshire in England. She holds a degree in fashion and textile design from the University of Huddersfield. Holden enjoys mixing media to create intriguing and colorful textures and surface patterns. Through her illustrations she hopes to spark creativity and imagination in children through vivid and emotionally rich storytelling.