Separation anxiety can be a factor for both mommy and child when anticipating the first day of school. This little bunny wishes her mom could shrink to just the right size, fit in her pocket, “near my beating heart,” and safely be with her all day. With mommy secretly close by, little bunny could enjoy reading, lunch, art and even playtime. Nakata’s mixed-media cartoon-style paintings, some single scenes, others four to a page, and some full-page spreads, add details to a somewhat uneven rhymed text. “At playtime, I would run about, / Watching my pocket so Mommy wouldn’t fall out.” Little bunny concludes feeling more comfortable by spiritually keeping mommy’s hug and kiss with her. “Yet when school starts, I know I’ll be okay, / Because the love in Mommy’s hug and kiss . . . / will stay with me all day!” Additional fare when compared with the classic Will I Have a Friend, by Miriam Cohen (1967), or the popular The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn (1993). (Picture book. 3-5)
