I found this book rather sentimental and unsubtle, at least too much so for my taste. More importantly, I don't think this book is really for children. I don't think kids will relate to the father's emotion about his daughter, or simply may not perceive it: 'And he was smiling' may not be enough for kids. It doesn't help that the father is never depicted -- makes it harder still to identify with or understand this important character. And once the girl becomes a woman, I'm afraid that kids will feel very separate from her and so again not feel the deep emotion that many adults feel. This author has lots of fans, and many will enjoy the book no matter what, but in my opinion, as a children's book, it's flawed.