I COULD EAT YOU UP!

In this aptly titled tale, animal parents of all species murmur sweet endearments to their adored offspring. Harper relies upon clever, species-specific food analogies to describe the depth of the parent’s adoration—a foal is a “sugar lump,” while young elephant calf is a “crunchy peanut”—with each stanza ending with a human parent extolling his or her child’s virtues. With a single verse dedicated to each two-page spread, the simple format is appropriate for the youngest reader. The subtle rhythms of Harper’s gently rhyming text make this ideal for shared read-aloud times, either one-on-one or in a group format. Chorao’s gouache-and-colored-pencil illustrations feature realistically detailed animals with added anthropomorphic touches—a bear cub wearing a bib or a young monkey adorned with a ribbon bow atop its head. The gentle execution of the drawings is in absolute harmony with the tale. Harper’s whimsically themed tale offers up a hearty serving of a parent’s love that is just right to share with little ones. (Picture book. 2-5)