My boy Miles is amazing.  I’ve been telling him this since he was a baby.  What I always wanted to say was “You’re crazy!” but I thought “You’re amazing!” sounded more positive.

Miles is always on the lookout for something exciting to do or yummy to eat.  He can get the things he wants even when they’re on top of the refrigerator. He is a fan of sound.  He loves music and making noise.  He does not give up easily.  He is sneaky and will find a way to do what he wants despite every obstacle – including me.

You can imagine how this boy would hear the word “no” quite often.  So when I first read No, David! by David Shannon, I knew Miles had to have this book in his life.  It instantly became his favorite, and for weeks and weeks we read it every day before his nap.

I absolutely adore this book, with its simple text and hilarious illustrations.

From the author’s note:

A few years ago, my mother sent me a book I made when I was a little boy.  It was called No, David, and it was illustrated with drawings of David doing all sorts of things he wasn’t supposed to do.  The text consisted entirely of the words “no” and “David.” (They were the only words I knew how to spell.) I thought it would be fun to do a remake celebrating those familiar variations of the universal “no” that we all hear while growing up.

After David breaks a vase playing ball in the house, the last page says “Yes, David… I love you.”  It’s been so good for Miles and even better for me to have a reminder that I love him even when he’s naughty.

Like I said, Miles is amazing.  His big ideas and determination, although they make things a little harder for me right now, will create a wonderful, adventurous life for him.  I simply need to love him through it.