If Only I Had

by Haley McAndrews (Author/Illustrator), Keith Mathias (Concept by)

The story is about the color White, who feels inadequate when comparing itself to the other colors, but realizes it was special all along. The target audience for this book is 0-4 years, and it is excellent for reading out loud! The repetition in the text is simple, and the illustrations allow for learning of both colors and body parts.

Written and illustrated by Haley McAndrews, concept by Keith Mathias. Earned a 5-Star Review by Reader's Favorite.

Size: 6.5" x 6.5"
Pages: 24
Audience: 0-4 years old
Illustrations: Pen and ink, watercolor paint on watercolor paper
ISBN: 979-8-9851303-0-0 (paperback)
ISBN: 979-8-9851303-1-7 (ebook)
First edition November 2021, published by Red Stone Art Studio in the United States

24 pages, Paperback

Published November 30, 2021

About the author

Haley McAndrews (Red Stone Art Studio), an award-winning artist from central Iowa, was born in South Carolina. She was introduced to Adobe Photoshop as a teenager and much of what she learned about digital painting was self-taught. In 2009 McAndrews graduated from St. Cloud State University with a Bachelor's degree in Art Photography. In addition to photography, she also draws and paints with watercolors and acrylics. Her first book, "If Only I Had" (a children's picture book) was published in 2021 and her second children's picture book, "Counting Toasters 1 to 10" was published in 2023. She launched her Red Stone Art Blog in the spring of 2022. Her third illustrated book, "Toaster Haiku" is set to be released in April 2024, with a fourth book set to be published later the same year. McAndrews enjoys reading, hunting for geocaches, and listening to many different kinds of music. She also loves late-night cartoons and vampires.

Reviews

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story

The illustrations were simple and beautiful and felt apt for the story. Others are so many things, but they are not you. Wanting to be like others, would take away what makes you so unique and yourself. Lovely way to make kids understand that.

Beautiful message for children and all conveyed in a very simple way. Enjoyed it.

[Kidliomag · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Only I Had aims to introduce little ones to the idea that we all are different and unique, so stay true to yourself and no need to copy others.

This cute and simple book is about the Color White, who has doubts about its appearance. White wanted to be like other colors, so white color thought If I had a Purple mouth, red nose, brown hands, or orange feet, so I could dance and be happy, but in the end, white realized that it was always special.

This delightful story gives a beautiful message of self-belief, self-acceptance and helps children deal with self-doubts.

Simple text and watercolor illustrations help children learn colors and body parts too.

This book helps children gain confidence, realize their true worth, and teaches them to discover their happiness within themselves.

Perfect for 0+

Grab your copy from Amazon.

[Emma Ugarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet story with a beautiful message to recognize our uniqueness and the beauty in ourselves that young children will understand and enjoy