MORE THAN A MILLION

Caregivers reassure children that they are loved unconditionally.

When her tot seeks comfort after a bad dream, a tired mother responds that she loves her little one “more than a million very early mornings.” Subsequent pages explore different adult/child pairs as they deal with common experiences—some sweet, some irritating, some funny (and often several emotions at once). Made up of rhyming couplets, Farris’ text is comprised entirely of the adult’s refrain: “Love you more than…” The simplicity of the language and structure creates an emotionally evocative contrast to the complexity of raising children. Grown-ups will chuckle along with familiar frustrations like spilled blueberries, false-alarm potty trips, and laundry mishaps; wince at broken bones; melt over gently loving scenes of coloring and bathtime; and feel the pang of bittersweet moments like school drop-off. Children, however, likely won’t experience these emotional layers in the same way. Some statements may not make much sense from their perspective, and sensitive youngsters may even feel they’re being teased. Still, most little ones will simply enjoy the repeated reminder that their grown-ups love them. The illustrations depict a wide variety of caregiving relationships: parents who appear without a partner, dual parents, older adults (perhaps grandparents), teachers, and doctors. Characters vary in skin tone.

A humorous book that adults won’t mind reading more than a million times.