Weaving together the wonders of nature and a parent’s devotion in one glorious day of outdoor exploration, this lyrical picture book is an ode to the bond between caregiver and child. Tender and true, You’ll Always Be My Chiackadee reassures young children that no matter what, our love for them is as steadfast as the tallest tree and as endless as the stars in the sky.
“In a snuggly book that unfolds over the course of a day spent outdoors, Hosford uses expressive, nature-filled rhymes to capture the adoring relationship between a caregiver and child.”
-Starred review, Publishers Weekly
“A golden-hued love song, both for treasured children and for the outdoors.”
-Kirkus Reviews
Writing Chickadee
I wrote this story in 2020, during the first summer of the pandemic when we moved to Vermont to be closer to my parents. At first, I thought that I would write a story about fairies and Vermont wildflowers, but eventually it morphed into a story about a mother expressing her steadfast love to her child during a day of outdoor exploration. The book is in rhyme with a refrain at the end of each stanza. As the two of them travel through the backyard/garden/forest, etc., the mother proclaims her love through nature metaphors: you’ll always be my chickadee/sugar beet/evergreen…these things are all related to places around my childhood home in Vermont. There is even a cameo appearance from the Belted Galloways, who were special striped cows in the pasture next to our house. My hope for this book is that in an uncertain world, children will always know that there is at least one person out that who loves them unconditionally. If readers learn something about nature while reading the book, that would be wonderful as well!
Honors and Awards:
An Indigo Heather’s Book Pick
Indigo Top Ten Books, Ages 3-5