These Words I Shaped For You

A loving, lyrical ode to the bond shared between mother and child in the tradition of You Are My I Love You and On the Night You Were Born.

Before you were born, you fit into the round fullness of my belly
and when I dreamt I sent words like love to keep you safe.

And when I first touched your tiny hand to mine,
I drew a heart inside your palm for you to hold.

There is no love more beautiful, more pure, than the deep-rooted love shared between parent and child. Told with vivid, poetic language, and accompanied by Basak Agaoglu's adorable, child-friendly art, Megan Merchant infuses genuine warmth and compassion in this celebration of a mother's heartfelt affection for her child. Whether it's Mother's day, Valentine's Day, graduation, or just an ordinary day, this is the perfect book to share with the people in our lives we cherish most.

Megan Merchant (meganmerchant.wixsite.com) is a poet and translator, whose work has appeared in The Atlanta Review, Kennesaw Review, Margie, International Poetry Review and The Poetry of Yoga. She holds a MFA degree from UNLV and was the winner of the Las Vegas Poets Prize. She is the author of two full-length poetry collections, Gravel Ghosts and The Dark's Humming. These Words I Shaped for You is her debut children's book. Megan lives in the tall pines of Prescott, Arizona, where she spends her days exploring, drinking too much coffee, and avoiding the laundry. Follow her on Twitter @meganamerchant.

Basak Agaoglu (www.basakagaoglu.com) was born and raised in Adana, Turkey, before moving to New York to pursue a degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After graduating, Basak began her career as a designer in the fashion industry while also working on illustrations for a children's book. She is the creator of The Almost Impossible Thing. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Follow Basak on Twitter and Instagram @BasakAgaoglu.