LITTLE BABY BUTTERCUP

Little Baby Buttercup blooms under the sunny warmth of her mother’s love, beaming as she eats (and wears) breakfast, builds with blocks, works the garden hose, hits the playground and returns home.

This read-aloud assumes mother’s singsong-y voice, which rocks with simple, solid rhymes (encouraging participation and pleasingly predictable to listeners). “Little Baby Buttercup, / how I love to scoop you up. / Scoop you up and hold you near. / Kiss your little baby ear.” She addresses her beloved blossom throughout in a joyful, one-sided conversation that narrates the everyday pleasures that spring from the care for a small child. Inset scenes, both framed and floating, and full-bleed spreads visually describe the variety of tiny experiences a single day with a toddler brings as well as a parent’s intense focus on their little one. Paintbrush and ink atop watercolor paper allow for both specificity and soft washes of color. Children might point out a dog’s bristly fur or a rose’s myriad petals, while a tree’s canopy softly glows yellow across the background.

Cozy, predictable, cheerful and brimming with motherly love—a dependably pleasing read-aloud for the smaller set.