I Already Know I Love You

by Billy Crystal, Elizabeth Sayles (Illustrator)

A grandfather dreams of all the things he will do with his new grandchild. Age 3+

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Family, Love

36 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

William Jacob Crystal is a Golden Globe Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning American actor, writer, producer, comedian, and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Richard Mulligan's & Cathryn Damon's TV son, Jodie Dallas, on the ABC comedy-drama, Soap, and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the box office successes When Harry Met Sally... and City Slickers.

Reviews

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best celebrity picture books out there. Full of a lot of heart, I even teared up just a little.

"I took your mom to her first movie.
I want to take you, too.
That will be a special day
devoted just to you.
When I took your mommy,
I never watched the screen.
The movie was in her smile-
to her it was a dream."

[Heather McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet but not sappy, and very personal, comedian Billy Crystal shares his affection for the newest member of his family tree.

[BookNightOwl · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the SWEETEST book! It is about all of the things that Billy will do when he becomes a grandfather. On the very back of the back cover is a picture of Billy, his wife Janice, and their new grandchild.

[Sarah Maddaford · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book because it is supposed to be a sweet grandpa telling the kid they're loved. Unfortunately, there isn't really any kind of story to follow. The rhyming is often rather awkward. The illustrations are pretty, but not very interesting to the eye.

Also, I can't really relate to the message. My grandpa was pretty mean. He didn't really seem to like us much less love us. He got in big trouble with my mom for calling my little sister stupid. He was the only grandpa I had so I never got to see any other kind of grandpa. I understand the sentiment, but unconditional love isn't always a given even in family.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sweet story written from the perspective of a grandfather. It is all about the excitement of the arrival of his first grandchild, and all the activities and memories he wants to have with the child.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this for Grandpa Whitey, but am currently brushing back tears as I stole a quick (re) read.

Here's a book every grandparent in waiting should read...and I double dog dare them not to tear up.

[Ricki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billy Crystal wrote this book to his future grandchild. It is a cute book, but the text felt like a corny poem to me.

[Ben Truong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Already Know I Love You is a children's picture book written by Billy Crystal and illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles, which tells about a story about a grandfather expecting his very first grandchild.

Crystal's text is rather straightforward and rather heart-warming. It is like a love story and a promise to an expecting grandchild from a grandfather all rolled into one. The simple rhymes made the book flowed rather well and gave the book an innocent feel. Sayles' illustrations are absolutely amazing – the rich pastels illustration gives an ethereal dreamy feeling. It gives a very intimate feeling throughout the book.

The premise of the book is rather simple, yet complex in nature. It deals with the cavalcade of emotions present for an expecting grandfather of his first grandchild. It begins with the anticipation of the new baby's arrival and then the book celebrates all the moments that this new grandfather is ready to share – the mundane to the exciting, the big and small – this grandfather wants to do it all with his grandchild. In short, it is part love letter and part promise of what he's willing to do for his grandchild.

All in all, I Already Know I Love You is a wonderful children's book about a grandfather's love to his unborn grandchild and the promise of everything he want to do with his grandchild.

[Jenna Vick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this book made me tear up. In the book the grandfather is patiently waiting on the arrival of his granddaughter. He is dreaming about all the things they will do together. He dreams about they are going to play peekaboo and horsely. He wants to show her the world. He cannot wait to hug her and finally see her for the first time. He dreams about taking he rot her first movie and baseball game just like he did for her mother when she was younger. But most importantly, he cannot wait to show her how much he loves her.

I really enjoyed this book. It made me think of all the good times I have had with my grandfather and how I cannot wait to have more with him.

I would use this in a preschool and early elementary classroom for grandparent day. You can make this interactive by asking the students to write or tell their favorite memory with their grandparent or a grandparent figure.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe this is a memoir as it is written based on the author's personal experiences. It is about how he is anticipating the arrival of his new grandchild and describes all the moments they will share together. I really do believe that this book could be for any age whether it's a child, a grandfather, a mother, a dad, really anyone. It was very heartwarming and written in rhyme detailed with beautiful illustrations by Elizabeth Sayles. I was also surprised to find out the author, Billy Crystal, was also a comedian, director, and actor. He even voices Mike Wazowski in Monsters Inc. It amazes me how this person has so many talents. A loving book. I hope to be included in my grandchild's life as much as he leads on for his. Unfortunelty, I was not that blessed to have a strong connection with my grandparents. So, I refused to continue that cycle.

[Children's Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess it's all right if you like stories in rhyme with words that make an appearance just because they rhyme with some other words. Rhyming could have been better.

It didn't make me cry or anything close. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. Since the baby wasn't even born for the majority of the book, it all just felt very hypothetical. Maybe if the baby was born early in the book, it would have been easier to connect to the story.

Chances are any grandad would give this book to his grandchild when they were already born not months before the birth... so it would make more sense for the baby to appear, say on the third spread, and not on the last one. And then we would just follow the usual activities of them together.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book for children is a message from a prospective grandpa to his expected grandchild. Crystal uses references to baseball, circuses, fishing, playing games, instructing and just basically hanging out. The general form is four lines of verse per two-page image where the second- and fourth-line rhyme. It is a list of many of the things that the anticipatory grandparent hopes to do with their upcoming grandchild.
This book is delightful, worthy of being read and re-read to all grandchildren. I also recommend it to all expectant grandparents; it will warm their hearts for what is to come.

[Ta'Mya Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I Already Know I Love You" is the cutest book EVER. It almost made me cry. This book was talking about a grandfather who was expressing himself to his future granddaughter. He talked about think that they would do together, things he would teach her, and how he could not wait to meet her. It showed the beauty of a grandfather's true love. It showed how family should love one another. I think this book would be a good representation to show kids what genuine love looks like. I think it would open up a lot of expression in kids, no matter where they come from. It may even open up loads of heavy information, which I think it's okay given the right context.

[Gabrielle Morine · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this story a grandpa is writing to his son to be grandchild. He talks about all the things he is excited to do with his grandchild and all the fun memories they will make together. He talks about the activities they will do and how loved the child will be.

I thought this book was a sweet message to grandchildren from a grandpa. It was very sweet and is definitely something that would make a cute present from a grandparent.

This book may be odd for a classroom setting but it could be used for younger ages for national grandparent day or fathers day to do a fun activity with they kids for their grandpa.

[Jsmith42harding.Edu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet book about a grandfather awaiting the arrival of his granddaughter. This book goes through the young life of his soon to be grandchild. He goes through all the things he's excited to do with her and all of the new things he's excited to teach her.

This book shows the importance and the tenderness of family and especially grandparents. I also really like that here was rhyme and rhythm with lots of really colorful pictures.

In the classroom, I would teach the importance of family and would introduce the concept of love.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author writes about his own experience about being a grandfather to an unborn grandchild. He talks about the future of baseball games, family history, and other first experiences.

This book is so joyful in describing the feelings that comes with becoming a grandfather. I adored reading this it reminded me of my time with my Pappy and all the things we done together.

I think this book is very engaging. It would be cute to read this on grandparents day if that is recognized in the classroom.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased a copy of this book to add to a community book exchange that I run, and because it was written by Billy Crystal I decided to quickly read through it before I donated it. I'm so glad I did, because it was absolutely beautiful and reminded me of my relationship with my own grandfather when I was little. In the future I will gift a copy of this to every expectant grandparent I know, so they can share it with their grandchildren in the future.

[Kim Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a lovely book written by Billy Crystal. For a man who is paid to act silly and goofy, this book is sweet, sentimental and touching. The illustrations in this book are fabulous and I thoroughly enjoyed sharing this book with my precious grandchildren.

[Vickie McEntire · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I Already Know I Love You," is written by Billy Crystal from a grandfather's point of view. Elizabeth Sayles does a fantastic job with the illustrations. It is a sweet sing-song, waiting-for-you-to-get-here story.

[Chris Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully illustrated book tells how a grandfather anticipates the coming of his grandchild and what he wants to do and how to make memories with this grandchild - just like he did when raising his daughter.

[Sadie Seney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet book. From the perspective of a grandpa awaiting his granddaughters birth, he explains all the wonderful fun things that he wants to show her as she grows up. This book was written from the heart and also has beautiful illustrations.

[WriteTheVision · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, heart-felt story that had my 1st graders swooning "awws" about how "adorable" it was while I read it during story time.

[The Book Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story in rhyme about a grandfather waiting for the birth of his first grandchild.

[Katie Deever · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me all weepy! This story is about a man anxiously awaiting the arrival of his gran-child. This sweet book helps us remember the importance of family in such a tender way.

[Kylie]

A really beautiful book written from the perspective of a maternal grandfather to his new granddaughter.

[Alison Strandell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grandpa to grandbaby <3

[Sally N. Inglis · Rating 4 out of 5]

We bought this book to read to the boys. I'll be mailing it to them. I gave it a quick read first.

[Robert Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very sweet story. I believe any 👴 would be happy to give this to the expecting parents. I also believe any grandpa would 😍 to read this to his grandchild.