That's Me Loving You

PreS-K--Rosenthal's poem declares that nature is a constant reminder of the narrator's love for a child. "That shimmering star?/That's me winking at you. That inviting ocean?/That's me waving at you." On creamy backgrounds, two lines of verse face pages of White's sweet-faced adventurers. One at a time, children encounter pesky mosquitoes, a breeze's kiss, and rain's tears, ever assured of the unflagging devotion of their parents or caregivers. VERDICT A fine introduction to personification. The honeyed text and drawings will please parents, grandparents, and caregivers. A love letter best shared one-on-one.--Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

Rosenthal (Awake Beautiful Child) uses a gentle rhyme to remind readers that a parent's love is always present, even when said parent is not: "That shimmering star?/ That's me winking at you./ That drifting cloud?/ That's me thinking of you." In pastel-hued images set against cream backdrops, White (Counting with Barefoot Critters) offers delicately detailed scenes of happily independent, racially diverse children riding bicycles, resting in hammocks, or gazing at crashing waves. One mother shows up in the final pages, but the absence of adults in most of the images, combined with the reassurances of Rosenthal's verse, should make this a comforting resource for children separated from their parents for any reason. Ages 3-7. Author's agent: Amy Rennert, Amy Rennert Agency. Illustrator's agent: Nicole Tugeau, Tugeau2. (Dec.)