Baby Blessings

April 19, 2010
In Jordan's (Did I Tell You I Love You Today?) latest, an African-American mother and father express their promises and hopes for their newborn son in the form of a blessing: "You will always be loved with a love that knows no bounds. You will touch the world in your own special way. We pray that you will always be kind." Under their loving and watchful eyes, the boy matures into a kindergartner, and by the book's end, he's also become a big brother (astute readers will notice that the mother's tummy starts growing at the book's midpoint). Ransome's (Sky Boys) rich oil palette adds some emotional heft, helping Jordan's pedestrian sentiments ("Always strive to do you best") feel a little bigger than they actually are. But his vignettes feel predictable and Pollyannishâa butterfly alights near the toddler as his mother looks on as she tends the garden; the parents sit side-by-side on the boy's bed, book in hand, as he gazes out at the night skyâas if they were the "do" examples in an inordinately upbeat parenting book. All ages.

December 1, 2009
PreS-This celebration of family life exalts the blessings and hopes a mother and father feel for their new baby. The text consists of the baby's parents' simple declarations of reassurance, love, and inspiration. Ransome's realistic illustrations, rendered in oil, depict the African-American youngster's growth from his birth to his first day of school. Sometimes the illustrations cover a full page opposite a single short line of text; others cover a spread. The artwork always reflects the family's joy and love. This warm book fits in snugly with the many works celebrating parental love for a child."Laura Butler, Mount Laurel Library, NJ"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2009
Preschool-K Deloris Jordan, best known as the mother of Michael Jordan, offers a colloquial prayer to greet the newborn child, offers advice, and gives reassurance of family love and support as well as Gods blessings. Each double-page spread includes one simply written sentence; the overall tone is wise and kindly, affectionate but never overly sweet. Ransomes handsome, full-page and double-page oil paintings follow an African American child growing from infancy to the start of kindergarten under the watchful eyes of his loving parents. In one scene he learns to ride a tricycle and, in another, his father lifts him up to pick an orange from a tree, but many of the illustrations show quieter moments such as watching the cat, sharing a book, and kneeling in prayer at bedtime. Tenderly portraying a child growing up within a warmhearted family, this appealing picture book clearly expresses the faith, love, and hopes that surround him.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)