THREE SQUEEZES

A father’s love, epitomized by the titular gesture, lasts a lifetime.

The first two spreads set up a family tradition shared between father and son, both depicted with pale skin and straight, brown hair: “When you could neither talk nor stand, / life’s hourglass still filled with sand, // I gently held your tiny hand /and gave it three soft squeezes.” Subsequent spreads gradually age the child as he faces common life experiences, three squeezes always communicating his father’s comforting presence: a nightmare, a broken leg, a missed catch, a quarrel between the pair, the death of a pet, graduation. The boy becomes a father himself. On a sunset-lit forest path, he pushes his father in a wheelchair. “The day may come, you understand, / when I can neither talk nor stand, / and if it does, please take my hand / and give it three soft squeezes.” The final page shows the three generations together, the son squeezing the old man’s hand while the text spells out that three squeezes mean “I love you.” Sheban’s illustrations are the perfect complement, playing up the relationship and using color to enhance emotions. While inevitably begging comparison with Love You Forever, this comes out much the better with its portrayal of the normal progression of aging, though it requires just as many tissues.

Belongs among the gifts given at every baby shower; three squeezes should be part of every caregiver’s toolkit.