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Review: The Love That Made You by Grace Semler Baldridge, illustrated by Fran Alvarez

The Love That Made You is a gentle, luminous picture book that invites children into one of life’s biggest questions: Where does love come from, and what holds us as we grow? Grace Semler Baldridge approaches this mystery with humility and tenderness, offering a higher power simply called Love—a presence that connects, comforts, and accompanies us through every season of life.

The text moves with a soft, rhyming cadence that feels like a conversation between a caring adult and a curious child. Rather than offering neat, packaged answers, the book models something far more valuable: the courage to wonder. Lines like “Though I don’t have each answer…” give permission for grown‑ups to admit uncertainty while still speaking with confidence about meaning, belonging, and hope. It’s a rare and refreshing posture in children’s spirituality.

Fran Alvarez’s illustrations deepen the story beautifully. Through the visual arc of a family camping trip—meeting fellow hikers, exploring forests, watching the sky—the artwork captures the awe and connectedness that the text describes. Nature becomes a classroom for wonder, and the child’s journey mirrors the inner journey of discovering the divine in everyday encounters.

This book sits comfortably alongside titles like When God Made You and Maybe God Is Like That Too, but it brings its own distinctive voice: spacious, poetic, and open‑hearted. It’s especially well‑suited for families and communities who want to speak about God or the Universe in inclusive, imaginative ways without presuming to have all the answers.

A tender, thoughtful read that plants seeds of curiosity, belonging, and sacred wonder—perfect for bedtime, assemblies, or any moment when a child is asking big questions about life and love.