What a heartwarming book! I love the metaphor of the sun and love.

Thank you to free spirit publishing for the ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really like the idea of this book but I think it was executed...oddly. The message pushing gratitude is great, especially for a kids' book. It sets a really solid foundation and gratitude is a really good thing to have. However, I think it was a bit over-the-top. Being blatant is great and all, but it's not great when it feels fake. I would have really liked to see the gratitude be a bit more natural and not so forced. Honestly, the best way I can put it is that it made me uncomfortable as a reader. Basically what I'm saying is that there's a happy medium, and this book just didn't have it.
That being said, there were two other aspects of the book that I enjoyed: the illustrations and the discussion guide. The illustrations were beautiful and soft, creating a nice overall mood. Lastly, the discussion guide at the end was obviously well-thought-out and allows readers to add some gratitude to their own lives, which is always awesome.

‘Thank you, Sun’ is a mindful and slow book about gratitude. It is very slowly paced. The story focuses on the relationship between son and mother and their early summer day together. The illustrations capture the warm tones of the beginning of summer. Full of hopes, expectations and promises what might come.

In the back of the book is an authors and illustrators note as well as questions to help reflect the story with young children. To tie together the different aspects of the story.

Some readers and children might find the storytelling too slow.

I received an ARC of this children's book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful book. The pictures are wonderful and so is the text!

A delightful addition to the “Thank you, ____” series. I didn’t expect my one year old to be drawn in as I imagined this book to be targeted toward older readers, but it held his attention the whole way through. With the same poignant and accessible messages of gratitude, mindfulness and appreciation found in this series’ other books, I also love how this book highlighted the way our relationships with the people around us bring warmth to our lives.

Thank you so much to Free Spirit Publishing, the author/illustrator and Net Galley for the free early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank You, Sun is such a wholesome little story! I loved the illustrations, and mother-son bonding moments. I also really enjoyed the talking points at the end.

Dan McCauley, this book should be in every preschool class. I taught for five years, and wish I had this on my classroom bookshelf. It was absolutely darling! My four kids and I cherished reading it for bedtime. From start to finish, this book was beautiful. Loved it!

Lovely story!! A great way to show appreciation for our world and planet and accompanied by gorgeous illustrations. I especially appreciate the way sun and wind and rain are visualized.

I love the themes of appreciation, spreading love and having gratitude for the day-to-day small pleasantries of life, such as the warmth of the sun, spending time with a loved one and enjoying nature. Would definitely recommend to children. 7/10

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really adore this book, the way it encourages children and adults to be grateful of the little things. It shows how easy it can be to stand still and show gratitude towards eachother. The illustrations are really pretty, I think they fit the vibe and the message of the book very well. I recommend this book to all children and their parents.

Thank You, Sun follows a mother and son as they express their gratitude for the things in their life. This book was so sweet and positive, which I really appreciated. It was such a relaxing read due to the narrative, the color choices, and the art style. I also really liked the flow of the book. I loved the note at the back of the book that explains how gratitude can instill a more positive mindset. I think this book is a great start to teaching kids how to express their gratitude for even the small things in life. I highly recommend picking this one up!

Netgalley ARC- reflective, mindful, and full of love :) the art is gorgeous and the relationship between mother and son is very sweet.

This was a lovely book about appreciation and gratitude. The love shown between the mother and son, and by both of them to the sun was perfect. You can feel the emotions as if they’re jumping off the page! I also loved the illustrations, they were absolutely gorgeous!

Thank you, Sun is a delightful storybook for kids about gratitude, love, mindfulness and being thankful for the world around us. I loved that this book focused on the relationship between a mother and son to brings these themes to life and using nature to show how we plant and make these themes grow in our everyday lives. I think we all could use a reminder of how to let go of stress, and this is an important lesson for kids to learn at a young age.

The illustrations match the gentle, tender tone and warm nature of the book perfectly.

As a mother, I loved the section in the back of the book that had questions for reflection along with activities and suggestions of how children can further connect with nature and bring themes from the story to life. So often children's books have excellent teaching and life lessons without really helping to show the child how they can apply those lessons to real life. This is an excellent example.

My thanks to the author, Free Spirit Publishing and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank You, Sun is such a sweet little book about the wonders of the sun and how it gives us so much every day. It provides warmth and beautiful skies from sunset to sundown. It also helps provide an abundance of colors and allows us to grow our food and gardens. The relationship between the mother and son is magical and easy.
I liked the illustrations and the message of the story. I also liked the questions and reflections at the end and reminds us to thank the sun for all it does.
We could all use a bit of sunshine in our lives, especially when times are hard.

A lovely companion to Thank You, Moon. This is a good option for a bedtime story, and would also work well as a board book. I liked the word play between sun and son, as the illustrations centered on a mother and her son. Having two boys myself, this really touched me because I think little boys need to feel nurtured and loved more than our culture allows.

I recommend this for all schools and libraries, especially because the author includes scientific facts about the sun at the end of the book.

3.5/5.0

"Thank You, Sun" by Dan McCauley is a gentle picture book that encourages mindfulness and gratitude in young readers. Through lyrical prose, the story guides children to appreciate the simple wonders of the world around them, fostering a sense of calm and presence.

Illustrated by Jo Loring-Fisher, the book features soft, soothing artwork that complements its tranquil theme. The illustrations effectively capture the serene beauty of nature, enhancing the overall reading experience.

While this picture book offers valuable lessons in mindfulness and gratitude, some readers may find the theme bit slow, which could affect its appeal to younger audiences with shorter attention spans. Additionally, the book's focus on a single theme might limit its engagement for children seeking more dynamic narratives. Also, there is no mention if the child is on holiday or summer vacation, as there is no relevance shown to his formal education other than his engagement at the places nearby to his home.

Overall, It is a commendable addition to children's literature, promoting an appreciation for the natural world. Its calming tone and beautiful illustrations make it a worthwhile read, especially for parents and educators aiming to introduce these concepts to young minds. But without formal education such kids when grow up prone on to become fake inattentive activists rather than change bringing educated folks who new how to conserve the nature for real more than just been vocal about it.

"Thank You, Sun" is an adorable children’s book that beautifully teaches appreciation for the world around us. The story follows a young boy who wakes up to the warm sunshine and feels a special connection to both the sun and his mama.
This book is a lovely reminder to be present, let go of stress, and appreciate the little things. With its soothing rhythm and gentle messages, "Thank You, Sun" is perfect for encouraging mindfulness and gratitude in young readers. A must-have for any child's bookshelf!

Gorgeous art work. It's reminiscent of Eric Carle, but very soft and pastel and pretty. I like that it touches on the sun and gratitude (which is obvious from the title!). However, I'm not sure my kids would enjoy this book. While it narrates some tender parent/child moments beautifully, I don't think it would keep kids the age it's aimed at interested. It's got some words I think would be hard for a very early reader to pronounce and a very leisurely pace.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A cute little children's book and I liked the illustrations for the most part. I think I'll be buying it for my son when it is out