Crescendo is a visual and poetic celebration of the transition to motherhood, featuring 47 gorgeous watercolor illustrations from Alessandro Sanna (The River, Pinocchio: An Origin Story) and a corresponding poem by Paola Quintivalle. Sannas illustrations follow the transformation of a mothers shape throughout her pregnancy, artfully and gracefully delineated not only by images of a mothers profile, but by rich, sweeping scenes from nature: the curved wingspan of a seagull in flight, the arc of a whales tail as she swims with her calves, the peaks of verdant, moonlit hills, among others. At last, there is an image of a mother embracing her newborn child, at once lilting and reverenta vision of joy and rest at the culmination of an incredible inward journey. Quintivalle’s poem, written as a response to Sannas illustrations, weaves delicately throughout the book. An ode to mothers everywhere, Crescendo is a book to share and to treasure.

• Written by Paola Quintavalle
• Illustrated by Alessandro Sanna
• Pages: 104
• Dimensions: 8 x 0.75 x 7.75 inches