When You Were Just A Heartbeat  
By Laurel Molk

     The joyful anticipation of the expected birth of a new baby is the subject of this book.  Mother talks lovingly to the unborn child telling it about the changing seasons and what is going on in the world, tracing the similarities of the child's development in comparison to the seasons.
 
     Molk's captivating, minimalist artwork sets the stage for the seasonal metamorphosis and shows a variety of animals and scenes in vivid watercolor against white backgrounds.  Told from an adult point of view, this book should open meaningful discussions at story time or bedtime, since some of the analogies would require an explanation to a small child: "As you were punching and kicking within," and "at last you could hear us."
 
     Children love stories about "when you were born," and this book promises to be a classic of that type.