Joanna Gaines's Youngest Son Inspired Her New Book—Here's the Sweet Story Behind It

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With a cooking show , a magazine, running a network and oh, designing homes , Joanna Gaines stays busy. But it's her youngest son, Crew, who inspired her to make sure she doesn't rush through life—and, in turn, her latest project. Gaines just announced her third children's book, The World Needs the Wonder You See , which hits stores on January 28, 2025. Available for preorder now, the book features whimsical illustrations that guide you through "an imaginative adventure through nature's small surprises," according to the publisher, but it holds a much richer meaning than that.

"It’s a love letter to every kid who believes there are always miracles to catch, and always surprises hiding in plain sight," Gaines wrote in a blog post about the book's launch. "And I wrote it with all the hope in the world that they may never stop chasing both with a heart full of abandon. But I also wrote it for me, and for all of the moms and dads and caregivers who might need a reminder that wonder awaits them too."

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Gaines shares that when she grew up, she—like many adults—got so lost in the cacophony of to-do lists and chores and demands and the scramble to do, achieve and well, simply exist , that she stopped noticing the beauty in everyday life.

Then Crew entered her world six years ago, and everything changed.

"He arrived like a gust of wind—the strength of something that could change the direction I was headed in," she explains. "In the years since, Crew has changed my heart from the inside out. Time and again, he has grabbed my hand and walked me back to seeing things the way I once could."

She wanted to share how Crew, and how all kids, view the world "without pretense," and how they can find awe not just in the flowers along a path, but the soil that surrounds them. And so, she set out to create a permanent reminder, something families could read together before bed, that could spark conversations about the joy found in between the loads of laundry, the dishes that need to be washed or the math homework that—if only they'd sit and focus for five minutes!—needs to be done.

If the title sounds familiar, that may be because The World Needs the Wonder You See serves as a follow-up to her 2020 book, The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be . It, too, features Julianna Swaney's whimsical illustrations that made the original a go-to gift for new parents and preschool grads alike.

The World Needs the Wonder You See is available for preorder at most major bookstores, including Amazon , Barnes & Noble (listed a signed copy, BTW) and directly through Magnolia.com .