Dylan gets a special present for his fifth birthday. In the middle of the night, his very pregnant Mom wakes him up (while Dad is still "honk-snoring"). It's the last day of the family's annual summer visit to Cape Cod and Dylan and Mom walk to the beach. As they wait, the sky turns slowly from deep blue to purple to orange to pink. Dylan, whose name means "from the sea," knows to take a quick look at the rising sun and then close his eyes. And when he catches it, his hands raise, eyes closed, in a victory pose. Later in the car, as they cross the bridge on the way home, Dylan waves goodbye to the waves and, along with Mom, closes his eyes again, catching the sun. Paratore's slightly lyrical prose is well-matched to Catalanotto's muted watercolor illustrations, many of which (by virtue of offbeat composition and perspective) look like paintings to frame. Warm and winning.

Dylan and his mother awake to catch the sun on Dylan's fifth birthday. They are spending a last day on Cape Cod, a last attempt to catch the sun rising. Dylan knows that next summer he cannot come and sit with Mom by the ocean. A new baby is coming. Dylan and his mother see the sea gulls and listen to the waves as the sky turns orange. Dylan struggles to accept the new baby that will take away his mother's attention. He feels sad when he thinks he has lost the sun's light. His mother assures him that he cannot lose it because he can close his eyes and remember. She tells him, "It's all still there." Slowly as a five-year-old can, Dylan knows that things are changing but he can always close his eyes and remember. The words of this peaceful, warm picture book complement the watercolor illustrations of the beach, Dylan, his mother, and the sun. With the descriptions of the waves' sounds, it would make a wonderful read-aloud for older preschool or kindergarten children. The story captures the joy and durability of spending even a brief time just with mom.

On Dylan's fifth birthday, he and his mother celebrate an annual ritual on Cape Cod. Yawning, they steal out to the beach while a few stars are still twinkling and wait at the shore for a swift, precious peek at sunrise--"A flash. A wink. A baby sun." This is a quiet story, peacefully illustrated with Catalanotto's watercolors (always tranquil, sometimes surprising in perspective and beauty). Paratore's language is likewise soft and startling: "Dad is still honk-snoring away. Huck's in dog dreamland." But the shadow muting this year's sunrise is The Baby. "Now I'm big, and soon Mom will have a new baby.... it won't ever be the same." Dylan's thoughts, and his mother's sensitive responses, are portrayed gently without minimizing their power. The chiaroscuro of Dylan's emotions is echoed in the muted violet and gold of early morning at the shore.

Dylan’s narration lets readers see first-hand his concern and anxiety over the coming changes. They will feel the closeness between mother and son, and empathize with Dylan’s reluctance to share this special relationship. When Dylan “looses the light” of the sun’s first rays, his mother helps him understand that, “It’s all still there.” Children will see how he works through his anxiety and comes to a new level of comfort. Peter Cataloanotto’s familiar painting style beautifully catches the early morning light, as the watercolor and gouache give a luminescence to the pre-down beach. Double-page spreads show the broad natural beauty, yet focus on the parent-child pair, emphasizing the strong bond between them. Expectant siblings will appreciate the reassurance found in this quiet family story.