MOMMY LOVES HER BABY/DADDY LOVES HIS BABY

This creative take on the familiar theme of parental love is two stories in one. Depending on which is begun first, a father or mother likens his or her parental love to all kinds of things animals love to do: “Daddy loves his baby like gorillas love to swing,” “Mommy loves her baby like the horsies love to gallop.” Halfway through, readers flip the book over and start at the beginning again, with the other parent. Kids may wonder why parents’ love must be described separately; the answer lies in how innovative and fun this format is. For those children whose parents don’t live together, it will be refreshing to see a celebration of parental love not necessarily focused on a nuclear family. The impressionistic illustrations in soft, bright colors add to the warmth; they are slightly rough, as if they could have been painted by a child. The type, creatively placed in waves and slanting lines, is black except for the names of the animals: the letters in the word “bumblebees” alternate between yellow and black, “robin” is in red, and so on. This comforting volume assures young readers that a parent’s love is as natural, innate, and immutable as all the things that come naturally to the animals. (Picture book. 1-3)