Always with You, Always with Me

PreS-Gr 2--A chronicle of one week in the life of a busy family, with a focus on the mother and her one son. Mom works as a construction foreperson and dad works as a nurse. Their son is in early elementary school. Narrated by the mother, the story focuses on her words of comfort to her son by saying that she is always with him, even when she is away with her irregular work schedule. She encourages him to look for "traces of magic" that are symbols of her presence. This magic is represented in the illustrations by a note she leaves for him in his lunch. Rowland (of "Destiny's Child") and McKay, a teacher, have composed an earnest text that is far longer than many books for this age group. Both the vocabulary and sentence structure are advanced. Each day has a repeated refrain of almost ten lines, including the title phrase. Richly illustrated pages show Liem's digital artwork to have a pleasing sketchbook quality, with lines and coloring as if made by colored pencils. The family is Black, and the mother wears her natural hair in a variety of styles throughout the week. Famous Black figures are included in the backgrounds: Serena Williams, Mae Jemison, and Barack Obama. The final illustration is particularly striking, a composition that brings together all the visual symbols of the book into one lovely image. VERDICT Despite its lengthiness, this book is a heartwarming read-aloud from mother to child. Purchase where reassuring family stories are needed.--Chance Lee Joyner