A crocodile parent uses her child’s digits to count the ways she loves him in this beautiful rhyming tribute: “How do I love you, little one? / Let me count the ways. . . . / One in sunshine; / Two in snow; / Three on rainy days.” Mom loves everything about her child: from his grins, antics and messes, to the activities they do together, at all times of the day and through all the seasons. Reaching 20, she tells him that 20 is not enough: “For if I started counting now / until forevermore, as big as that / last number was, I’d love you / plus one more.” The numbers are sometimes shoehorned into the rhymes, lessening its power as a counting book, but the sweetness overpowers this flaw. McCue’s illustrations positively sing with the love and the joy the two bring to each other’s lives. The pages are a riot of color, with vibrantly patterned borders surrounding the adorable duo. The illustrations and text suit either gender of both parent and child, making this suitable for any combination. (Picture book. 3-6)
