Reassuring platitudes nestled among fanciful pictures—almost too sweet to be believed.
A board book proclaims an adult rabbit’s unfailing love for their baby bunny.
Four rhyming stanzas, each spread over several pages, start by repeating the title phrase and then describe activities in a toddler’s idyllic life with a doting mama or grandma. There is no logical order to the scenes. Hanging laundry on a line is followed by tucking bunny into bed, telling jokes, and measuring baby bunny’s growth. Though the book’s padded cover and board pages make it suitable for toddlers, this bunny wins science fairs and joins soccer teams—activities more typical for school-age children. The busy, glossy illustrations are a mix of outdoor forest and domestic scenes decorated with mushrooms, mice, and whimsical furnishings. In most scenes the adoring adult bunny wears oversized spectacles, a polka-dot skirt, and a striped top with a lace collar. Baby bunny is distinguished by large eyes and green plaid overalls, with silly accessories to suit actions. On one page the adult bunny’s question “Who would do your greatest things, and / who would dream your dreams?” is paired with a picture of the two bunnies wearing astronaut helmets and riding a carrot rocket past planets. The black type used for the text is easy to find, set against paler spots in the crowded pictures. There’s no question it means well, but it hardly stands out on a very crowded shelf.
Reassuring platitudes nestled among fanciful pictures—almost too sweet to be believed. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64170-111-2
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Familius
Review Posted Online: May 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
It’s nothing new, but it’s also clearly heartfelt.
A love song from parents to their child.
This title will seem quite similar to the many others about parents’ deep love for their children. The text is wholly composed of first-person declarations of parental love, and it’s juxtaposed with illustrations of the child with one or both parents. It’s not always clear who the “I” speaking is, and there are a few pages that instead use “we.” Most sentences begin with “I love you more” phrasing to communicate that nothing could undermine parental love: “I love you more than all the sleepless nights…and all the early, tired mornings.” The accompanying pictures depict the child as a baby with weary parents. Later spreads show the child growing up, and the phrasing shifts away from the challenges of parenting to its joys and to attempts to quantify love: “I love you more than all the blades of grass at the park…and all the soccer that we played.” Throughout, Bell’s illustrations use pastel tones and soft visual texture to depict cozy, wholesome scenes that are largely redundant of the straightforward, warm text. They feature a brown-haired family with a mother, father, and child, who all appear to be white (though the father has skin that’s a shade darker than the others’).
It’s nothing new, but it’s also clearly heartfelt. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0652-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Vibrant photographs—especially action shots—will capture children’s attention, build language skills and, one hopes, start...
“We hope this book…will lead children and their parents to engage in conversation about their families.”
So begins this good-sized book, which is packed with photographs of families of many different sizes, shapes, ages and colors (although most wear casual clothing familiar to most American children). Bold, colorful type announces: “There are all kinds of families.” Engaging photographs throughout complement a simple text that informs readers about differences—such as big vs. small; genders and generations of parents; adoption vs. birth children. Positive similarities follow, as families get together for celebrations and family members help one another out and enjoy activities together. Only childless families are excluded, but that can be forgiven by the book’s noble, stated goal. Kelly adds an endnote to further encourage parents: “Recently, research psychologists have found that children who developed a strong family narrative from speaking with their parents about family history and hearing family stories, both good and bad, exhibited greater self-esteem….” As the photographs’ emotional spectrum covers the tiny range from cheerful to exuberant, it’s an open question whether this will encourage or inhibit truthful family-history revelations. However, the emphatic ending will certainly start a dialogue: “There are many different kinds of families. What about yours?”
Vibrant photographs—especially action shots—will capture children’s attention, build language skills and, one hopes, start conversations. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: May 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3053-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
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