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Three Squeezes
When you could neither talk nor stand
life’s hourglass still filled with sand,
I gently held your tiny hand
and gave it three soft squeezes.
When you awoke within the night
And cried from fear and called for light,
I held you safe with all my might
and gave you three long squeezes.
Follow a father and his son from babyhood to baseball games to graduation and beyond in this loving saga about the unbreakable bond between generations.
A perfect gift, Three Squeezes is a tender, rhyming picture book that is an ode to the love between parent and child, no matter how old the child (or) parent is.
life’s hourglass still filled with sand,
I gently held your tiny hand
and gave it three soft squeezes.
When you awoke within the night
And cried from fear and called for light,
I held you safe with all my might
and gave you three long squeezes.
Follow a father and his son from babyhood to baseball games to graduation and beyond in this loving saga about the unbreakable bond between generations.
A perfect gift, Three Squeezes is a tender, rhyming picture book that is an ode to the love between parent and child, no matter how old the child (or) parent is.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published August 4, 2020
44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
August 27, 2020
This book has some lovely rhyming text and a nice sentiment. But I'm struggling to figure out who the audience is.
Do little children want to read books about becoming adults and watching their parents get old and decrepit? Do they care about how a parent feels watching their child grow up? I'm not sure the book is really a good match for kids. It obviously talks about something that other parents can understand... but how many adults really want to read picture books?
That said, it is well done. The verse is wonderful, with near-perfect metre. The illustrations are simple and a bit rough, but they work well with the text.
Overall, I'm just a bit confused about how to categorize it and who I'd recommend it to.
Do little children want to read books about becoming adults and watching their parents get old and decrepit? Do they care about how a parent feels watching their child grow up? I'm not sure the book is really a good match for kids. It obviously talks about something that other parents can understand... but how many adults really want to read picture books?
That said, it is well done. The verse is wonderful, with near-perfect metre. The illustrations are simple and a bit rough, but they work well with the text.
Overall, I'm just a bit confused about how to categorize it and who I'd recommend it to.
September 3, 2020
In some ways, this is a father/son version of Love You Forever. It's really sweet, but because it introduces tough details about aging and death, this isn't ideal for the target picture book audience. This is best as a gift book to a parent.
June 14, 2021
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! We’re back after our move to share a beautiful tale with you. Our book today is Three Squeezes, written by Jason Pratt and illustrated by Chris Sheban, a touching ode to the love between a father and child.
As a baby naps on a blanket in the grass, his father gently takes his hand and gives it three soft squeezes. This becomes a ritual between dad and his boy as the baby grows into a toddler, then a child, then a teen, and eventually a man with a family of his own. Offering comfort through nightmares, broken bones, little league losses, and the death of his faithful dog, these three squeezes – in the form of a hand held or a close embrace – become a secret language between the two, until the dad has become elderly and immobile. And on the final page, as their relationship has come full circle, the meaning of the three squeezes is translated for the reader as well: “I love you.”
A treasure. This gorgeously written and illustrated tale is as warm and comforting as a parent’s loving hug. The gently flowing rhymes are simple and earnest, yet manage to weave in some beautiful symbolism about the cycle of life, from infancy to old age, and how the bonds we make with our loved ones fill it. The art is soft and delicate yet carries equal depth, such as the juxtaposition between a child’s first steps and their graduation walk, or the subtle foreshadowing of the frailty of one’s later years. The length is perfect, and JJ and I both loved it. A perfectly heartwarming tale of fatherly love that just may bring a tear to your eye, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!
(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
November 13, 2020
When I was little, my mom used to have a "secret" hand squeeze with my brother and me. She'd take our hands and give them 3 gentle squeezes to say "I love you," and then we'd give her 4 squeezes back, signaling "I love you, too." Fast forward to becoming a parent myself and these 3 and 4 squeezes are now a "secret” that we share with our own girls. I always assumed this was something unique to our family, until Lauren from Picture Book Playdate reviewed Three Squeezes by Jason Pratt, illustrated by Chris Sheban, earlier this fall. I knew our family had to own this one. I bought it immediately to give to our younger daughter for her birthday in September and am so glad that we own a book that depicts this special (but apparently not-so-secret) language of ours in such a beautiful, touching way.
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Three Squeezes is a gently written, softly illustrated ode to the love shared between a parent and a child. Opening with a happy, then sleeping baby, and closing when that baby is a father himself, Three Squeezes welcomes us into the unspoken, inaudible lives of a dear father and son. We watch the son grow, we watch triumphs happen, we watch fights threaten relationships, and we watch forgiveness mend hurts. And all along the way, we see how three gentle squeezes send a silent message of the most powerful words parents and children can say to each other: "I love you."
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These three squeezes send comfort in times of fear. Healing in times of hurt. Encouragement in times of disappointment. Hope in times of sorrow, and so much more. For most of the book, we watch the father give his son three gentle squeezes. Though the son grows and changes, his heart stays constant... And when he becomes a father himself, and his father is a grandfather using a wheelchair, the son then uses these three squeezes to send that powerful message to his father. "I love you."
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Advanced apologies if sappy, sentimental books make you cry... Get your tissues ready. Also, you'd better believe I'm adding Three Squeezes to my baby shower repertoire... And getting a copy for my mom for Christmas. Shhh, don't tell her!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Three Squeezes is a gently written, softly illustrated ode to the love shared between a parent and a child. Opening with a happy, then sleeping baby, and closing when that baby is a father himself, Three Squeezes welcomes us into the unspoken, inaudible lives of a dear father and son. We watch the son grow, we watch triumphs happen, we watch fights threaten relationships, and we watch forgiveness mend hurts. And all along the way, we see how three gentle squeezes send a silent message of the most powerful words parents and children can say to each other: "I love you."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
These three squeezes send comfort in times of fear. Healing in times of hurt. Encouragement in times of disappointment. Hope in times of sorrow, and so much more. For most of the book, we watch the father give his son three gentle squeezes. Though the son grows and changes, his heart stays constant... And when he becomes a father himself, and his father is a grandfather using a wheelchair, the son then uses these three squeezes to send that powerful message to his father. "I love you."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Advanced apologies if sappy, sentimental books make you cry... Get your tissues ready. Also, you'd better believe I'm adding Three Squeezes to my baby shower repertoire... And getting a copy for my mom for Christmas. Shhh, don't tell her!
June 15, 2020
This book is one of those books that is lovely, but it is a hard recommendation. I do not see it as a baby shower gift, but it does talk to the child at first about the love the parent has and what they will do to show it. But then as the child grows, so does the story. And eventually ending on a somber note that foretells what will happen to the parent when they will no longer be the one giving the three squeezes, but will be needing them. As they know they taught their child what those three squeezes mean, so they can be passed onto the next generation. Perhaps you could give this picture book as a graduation gift from college if you are looking for an unusual graduation/not traditional book. But of given as a shower gift, it is not for the child itself, but to give directly to your child/the parents.
October 5, 2020
In your family, these recent months, "three squeezes" may be a way to let everyone know you are there for them, you love them, and will always. Not having that with other friends and family is heartbreaking and I imagine you have seen the news of the sadness without this touch.
Jason Pratt takes his story from a baby who cannot walk or stand all the way to when the father himself cannot walk or stand. Throughout this boy's life, he's received those three squeezes, when he's scared in the night or has a big fall and a break and when he has a loss, always shown care from Dad, with three squeezes. Pratt lets the father tell the story of all the years, illustrated with color and lots of emotion by Jason Pratt. It is a warmly poignant book that will be perfect for a baby shower or a new baby.
Jason Pratt takes his story from a baby who cannot walk or stand all the way to when the father himself cannot walk or stand. Throughout this boy's life, he's received those three squeezes, when he's scared in the night or has a big fall and a break and when he has a loss, always shown care from Dad, with three squeezes. Pratt lets the father tell the story of all the years, illustrated with color and lots of emotion by Jason Pratt. It is a warmly poignant book that will be perfect for a baby shower or a new baby.
August 13, 2020
Sometimes a book touches you from the very first line, and you know it's going to be special. That is this book. And the best part is that those first amazing lines lead to even more. From start to finish it's is all-the-feels, and even having read it numerous times now, I still can't get through it without tears. This beautiful, lyrical story of a father's love for his son--giving him three squeezes throughout his life as he grows--is destined to be a classic. It's timeless and universal and breathtaking. I plan to give this gift for baby showers, graduations, and more--wrapped with a box of tissues to accompany it. A wonderful debut!
May 1, 2021
"When you could neither talk nor stand
life’s hourglass still filled with sand,
I gently held your tiny hand
and gave it three soft squeezes."
This is one of the sweetest books I've read in a while, and left me teared up at the end. As a father shows his son love and support throughout his life, he always gives him "three squeezes." This one is similar to Robert Munsch's "Love You Forever" in that the child and parent age throughout the story, until they switch roles. This would actually make a thoughtful graduation present from a parent, or one for a grown child that is setting out on their own.
life’s hourglass still filled with sand,
I gently held your tiny hand
and gave it three soft squeezes."
This is one of the sweetest books I've read in a while, and left me teared up at the end. As a father shows his son love and support throughout his life, he always gives him "three squeezes." This one is similar to Robert Munsch's "Love You Forever" in that the child and parent age throughout the story, until they switch roles. This would actually make a thoughtful graduation present from a parent, or one for a grown child that is setting out on their own.
September 30, 2020
THIS IS THE MOST CRYING I HAVE EVER DONE OVER A PICTURE BOOK!!!
While this one is geared towards dads, with their strong silence, moms will find plenty to tear up about inside. I try to make my husband cry with picture books that he reads to our boys every night. This one got him in the feels really hard. I was crying by page 2 and weeping by the end. I think this one should be used in a try-to-read-without-getting-emotional contest and everyone who participated would LOSE.
I heard this compared to The Giving Tree and that's accurate. Less passive-aggressive and just pure love.
While this one is geared towards dads, with their strong silence, moms will find plenty to tear up about inside. I try to make my husband cry with picture books that he reads to our boys every night. This one got him in the feels really hard. I was crying by page 2 and weeping by the end. I think this one should be used in a try-to-read-without-getting-emotional contest and everyone who participated would LOSE.
I heard this compared to The Giving Tree and that's accurate. Less passive-aggressive and just pure love.
December 3, 2020
I was gifted this book from a friend for my daughter and her new baby daughter. I didn’t read it prior to giving it to her but while at her house one day she began to read it to her kids. As she read she started to cry, I started to cry, and neither of us could get through the book without tears and the kids looking at us like we were crazy.
My father, my daughters papa, had passed recently and “Three Squeezes” brought back so many memories, proud moments, and just genuine love for family.
What a sweet amazing book. Thank you.
My father, my daughters papa, had passed recently and “Three Squeezes” brought back so many memories, proud moments, and just genuine love for family.
What a sweet amazing book. Thank you.
May 30, 2020
I adore this beautiful book about unconditional love. Such a simple, yet complex story. This reminds me and stands very well with Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree or Sam McBratney's Guess How Much Do I Love You. WIth simple, yet beautiful art work the book shows us how a simple gesture of love can guide us through all the stages of life from infancy to elderly even death and how we can express love at all times. This is truly one of my favorite books of the year.
December 5, 2020
Three Squeezes will lodge its message deeply in the hearts of all who read it. People of all ages will come to cherish it, share it, live it. It encourages every reader to tenderly love, to intentionally touch and to unreservedly affirm the value of relationship throughout the many stages and events in life—and often without a word. Jason Pratt's poetic word picture is beautiful and his pages sweetly illustrated. This book should be on every shelf!
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August 12, 2020A warm book about a father-son relationship, THREE SQUEEZES reminds me a lot of the classic I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER. It shows a father and son over the span of their lives using three squeezes to show what words sometimes fail to. The text has a soothing, gentle tone and the illustrations are soft, glowing. Together they create a lovely bedtime story for dad and son to read.
August 21, 2020
Maybe I'm just emotional, but this one made me cry (more to do with the dog than the dad). Had a very Love You Forever vibe, in the same ways- people who like that may like this. Kind of a hard one to recommend, though , but to each their own.
September 28, 2020
Oh my heart.
At first I thought this was a good gift for a baby shower as a gift for the new baby but after reading I feel it could still work as a baby shower gift but more so to the parent from their parent (the soon to be grandparent).
It's the story of a dad and his son, and how he showed him he loved him through all the phases of life. With Three Squeezes.
At first I thought this was a good gift for a baby shower as a gift for the new baby but after reading I feel it could still work as a baby shower gift but more so to the parent from their parent (the soon to be grandparent).
It's the story of a dad and his son, and how he showed him he loved him through all the phases of life. With Three Squeezes.
December 17, 2021
Precious book showcasing the immeasurable love shared between a parent and child. Would be great for a gift like graduation or moving away or having a child. So sweet!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
February 12, 2022
This is a book that you’ll treasure and likely re-read (and SHOULD re-read) as the years go by and your children grow. The beautiful poem by Jason Pratt coupled with the soft, watercolor imagery of Chris Sheban really make this a touching read-a-loud. This is a great Father’s Day gift, graduation gift, between fathers and sons.
August 27, 2020
A truly beautiful look at the relationship between a father and his son. I loved the gorgeous illustrations and the message of love and compassion between a parent and child. This would be a sweet book for any new parent!
October 7, 2020
The new Love You Forever
Whatever, I liked it.
Whatever, I liked it.
October 7, 2020
A moving elementary and up picture book about a parent and child journeying through the ups and downs of life and always showing love support and other emotions with three small squeezes. Great depiction of milestones in life.
October 19, 2020
A touching story about the relationship between father and daughter. I am not sure at what age a child should be reading this because of the references to the fathers eventual passing; however, the meaning behind the three squeezes being I LOVE YOU leaves the reader feeling warm inside.
December 23, 2020
I hesitate to call this a children's book. The message would be lost on most children. It's more appropriate for a parent to give to a child upon their high school or college graduation.
That said, the sentiment is lovely and the illustrations are beautiful.
That said, the sentiment is lovely and the illustrations are beautiful.
September 27, 2021
This book made my heart do three squeezes. It is a great story in verse about bonding with family and being with them through everything. So precious.
"Though all the time you tried your best and won a few but lost the rest, I held you close against my chest and gave you three good squeezes."
"Though all the time you tried your best and won a few but lost the rest, I held you close against my chest and gave you three good squeezes."
August 6, 2020
Fantastic book that touches on so many of life’s milestones! It captures how we can express love to one another even when words fail us.
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August 13, 2020Sweet, maybe a good choice for adults looking for love affirmations to share with children. Hand it to fans of Love You Forever (and take that however you will).
August 14, 2020
Lush pantings capturing light. An emotional story that shows the passage of time and the relationship bond between a father and child (both white cis male)
August 27, 2020
Beware, this one is a bit of a tear jerker.
August 31, 2020
Sentimental
August 31, 2020
I'm not crying...there is just something in my eye. Just kidding! What a sweet book! Every parent should read this!
September 10, 2020
End Scene.
And ... DEATH.
Morticians must love this book.
And ... DEATH.
Morticians must love this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews