• Age: 3 to 6
• Grade: p to 1

I never got the chance to know you and play with you, but I think of you a lot.

A child eagerly waits for their younger sibling to be born. They help Daddy decorate the room, pick out toys with Grandma and build a sled with Grandpa. Auntie and Uncle are excited too, and the narrator helps them to pick out an exciting book and prepare a magic trick to show the baby. When Mommy and Daddy come back from the hospital, there is no baby with them — only a dark cloud of sadness.

The child doesn’t understand where the new baby is, until their parents explain that the baby died at birth. The narrator’s family explains that it’s rare, and it’s no one’s fault. Daddy and Mommy are very sad, but they also say that—little by little—they will find their smiles again. Although the child never got the chance to get to know their sibling, they have saved them a special place in their heart.

A quiet, thoughtful look at stillbirth and grief told through the eyes of a child. Includes a list of support organizations for children and families.

Key Text Features

Illustrations

annotated resources

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3

Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7

Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

ANDRÉE-ANNE CYR was an early childhood educator and has a background in special education. She is a mother of three children and likes to surprise them with stories where they are the heroes. Now that her stories are published, she is all the happier that they can be read and appreciated by other children. She lives in Laval, Quebec.

Andrée-Anne Cyr's profile page

BÉRENGÈRE DELAPORTE worked as an illustrator in a communication agency in Savoy, France, after formally studying art in Strasbourg, and now works in children’s publishing. She is the illustrator of Because I Already Loved You, written by Andrée-Anne Cyr. She also illustrates comics for children and adults. She lives in Besançon, France.

Bérengère Delaporte's profile page

A necessary and artful picture book … Cyr’s work clearly springs from an understanding of a young child’s point of view on one of life’s largest chasms: loss.

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

The succinct text clearly and honestly conveys both emotions and information in a child-friendly way. An important entry point for deeper discussion.

Kirkus Reviews

Because I Already Loved You is beautifully written and illustrated, filled with light and love.

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database