Book excerpt: “And they lived mommy ever after,” the mommy whispered to her baby. “Because we are not always going to feel happy, but I am always going to be your mommy.” A daughter grows from a tiny infant to a young girl, and the years bring all the natural changes and accompanying emotions. Some emotions are big and scary. But the one constant in the little girl’s life is her mother and her magical stories. These stories stories teach her about her uniqueness, about her kindness, and about her power to face the inevitable darkness in life. But when she’s on her own, away from her mother, can she share her light? It’s never too early to teach children how to recognize and accept emotions like fear, sadness, and loneliness. Through gorgeous illustrations of the real and fantasy worlds in which children always coexist, Mommy Ever After explores the difficult idea that we won’t always be happy, but we can always be brave and we can always be kind.