DEAR DAUGHTER
by Jamie Chin ; illustrated by Alena Karabach
A mother celebrates her love for her daughter in this rhyming poem of affirmation.
In the voice of a parent, the poem weaves through the beloved qualities of a daughter. The narrator’s love is evident early on: “One thing I know for sure, / And please believe it’s true. / There’s just nobody on this planet, / Who is as amazing as you!” The following pages emphasize the daughter’s strengths: her talent, kindness, voice, and dreams. Acknowledging that bad things may happen, the narrator recommends resilience during hard times. With the exception of a stand-alone first line, Chin’s poem scans smoothly with consistent rhymes. Emergent readers will find few words to stumble over in the simple vocabulary selection, and the picture cues and rhymes provide a solid context for newly independent readers working on their own. The large font plays well against solid backgrounds, and Karabach’s well-blended digital paintings, focusing on a brown-eyed, brown-haired girl and her similarly featured mother, will hold the attention of lap listeners. The cadence and encouraging words make the text perfect to end the night or start the day. While the praise may border on effusive, young children needing self-esteem boosters will find them here, especially if voiced by a parent.
A sweet poem crafted for parent-child sharing.