Dr. Toughlove was honored to review this enchanting book, for her November 2025 column. It is written by first-time author, Dana Moneymaker. Enjoy!
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and is generally associated with expressing gratitude for life’s many blessings. With that sentiment as a backdrop, Dr. Toughlove wants to highlight a book entitled As You Grew, written by Dana Moneymaker and illustrated by Ekata Mandal.
Dr. Toughlove had the pleasure of meeting Dana Moneymaker at an author event and was struck by the sentiment she expressed about writing this delightful book. Dana said that “As You Grew was inspired by her own experience with her son, Aiden. Written during her maternity leave, during naptimes and in the middle of the night, it shares the precious, fleeting details of a mother and child’s first year, honoring all the well-worn and well-loved items that come along on their journey. Dana reminded me that as our children grow, so does our love for them. And our memories (and mementos!) are ours to keep, forever.”
The book is an exemplar for how swiftly children grow up. Children quickly begin one stage of development, and in a blink of an eye, have outgrown that phase or that item, and are ready for a replacement. On page 8, Dana Moneymaker writes, “The boy was getting ready to crawl, crawl, crawl, but his knit overalls were already too small.” So, what happens to the overalls? They are placed in a box with his first baby blanket and a pair of avocado overalls that were outgrown. As the book progresses, many beloved treasures are placed in this special box, and serve as loving reminders of times gone by.
What makes this book so enchanting? Dr. Toughlove believes that many mothers experience the joy of their child’s growth and development while lamenting their previous stage. This book can serve to reinforce and celebrate those feelings. For young children, this is a wonderful read aloud book whose rhythmic prose can maintain attention. Additionally, Ekata Mandal’s illustrations are colorful and engaging and can stimulate picture identification for preschoolers, and more nuanced themes for slightly older children. The inside book covers present beautiful illustrations of words that are ideal for parents to teach their toddlers as they begin to develop expressive language. The possibilities for the reader to go beyond the written words contained on the pages are numerous.
Additionally, Dr. Toughlove believes that As You Grew would make an excellent gift for an expectant parent who wants to build a home library for their child. As You Grew is an ideal book for children aged 3-8, but can be read to younger and older youngsters as well. It is available at your local library.