A mother’s love for her baby is beautifully expressed in Wheeler’s lyrical narrative with a Spanish influence. Seasons pass, and a child transforms from a bouncy brown-eyed babe in a crib to a cheerful, chubby baby cooing in the ocean and finally to a one-year-old toddling out the door to celebrate his birthday. As baby grows, a variation of mother’s love song is repeated throughout: “I love you once, I love you twice. I love you more than beans and rice. I love you more than rain or sun, te amo, bebé, little one.” Suárez’s colorful pencil-and-watercolor illustrations perfectly capture moments both tender and humorous, with an adorably happy baby experiencing the wonders of nature, song, and movement. A highly enjoyable tribute to mothers and babies everywhere. (Picture book. 3-6)
