Sweet Child of Mine

August 11, 2014
Title aside, Church isn’t exactly channeling Guns N’ Roses with this gentle tribute to love, whose lilting rhymes underscore a parent’s love no matter the time of day, season, or weather. A girl with soft curls appears in each scene with her patchwork stuffed dog, whose presence means the verse can also be read as a child’s ode to a treasured plush pal: “I love you when the stars glow in the dim moonlight./ I love you in the silence that comes with every night.” Church’s subdued palette, softly speckled backgrounds, bits of texture, and loose ink lines create a soothing, restful setting. Up to age 3.

A simple, joyful expression of love at all hours and through all seasons. In short, rhyming verses, a doting parent professes love for his or her toddler all through the day and night: "I love you in the morning at the start of every day. // I love you in the evening when sunshine goes away. // I love you when the stars glow in the dim moonlight. // I love you in the silence that comes with every night." In the verses that follow, the narrator continues in this vein, describing his or her love for the child in spring, summer, winter and fall, ending with: "Let's watch the world together, in rain, or snow, or shine. // I love you always and forever, sweet child of mine." The endearing, cartoon-style illustrations feature a blond, curly-haired Caucasian girl and her stuffed bunny sidekick in appealing yet uncluttered natural scenes, with the narrator/parent never pictured. Both the text-with brief lines that scan well and read smoothly-and the illustrations are well-suited to the toddler crowd. This one serves as a gentle introduction to the concepts of day, night and the four seasons while celebrating and cementing the parent/child bond-if only it were more ethnically inclusive. (Board book. 6 mos.-3) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2015
A simple, joyful expression of love at all hours and through all seasons. In short, rhyming verses, a doting parent professes love for his or her toddler all through the day and night: "I love you in the morning at the start of every day. // I love you in the evening when sunshine goes away. // I love you when the stars glow in the dim moonlight. // I love you in the silence that comes with every night." In the verses that follow, the narrator continues in this vein, describing his or her love for the child in spring, summer, winter and fall, ending with: "Let's watch the world together, in rain, or snow, or shine. // I love you always and forever, sweet child of mine." The endearing, cartoon-style illustrations feature a blond, curly-haired Caucasian girl and her stuffed bunny sidekick in appealing yet uncluttered natural scenes, with the narrator/parent never pictured. Both the text-with brief lines that scan well and read smoothly-and the illustrations are well-suited to the toddler crowd. This one serves as a gentle introduction to the concepts of day, night and the four seasons while celebrating and cementing the parent/child bond-if only it were more ethnically inclusive. (Board book. 6 mos.-3)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.