I Love You Because You're You

October 15, 2001
A mother fox's affection for her little one is played out in greeting-card sentiments and McPhail's (If You Were My Bunny) winning artwork. Reassuring quatrains ("I love you when you're sad/ and need a kiss and hug./ I love you when you're playful/ and rolling on the rug") convey her unconditional love. McPhail's cozy watercolor illustrations offer tangible examples of the child's many moods, as when the "bashful" youngster hides behind the mother's knee as guests arrive, or gazes up at her when presenting her with a valentine ("I love you when you're proud,/ your head held in the air"). In this warm and fuzzy hug of a book, a parent's love knows no bounds. Ages 3-6.

January 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 1-This reassuring story centers on a spirited, young bushy-tailed fox whose patient mother loves him no matter what he does or how he feels. Whether he's happily eating cookies, dancing silly dances, mourning a broken toy, or refusing to brush his teeth, mother fox's love is unconditional. McPhail's illustrations feature muted colors and lots of white space. There's a round softness that matches the comforting rhyming text. This series installment focuses on developing school readiness skills through prompts and activities. Each title in the series highlights a different ability-in this case, emotions. Extension activities, found on the final endpapers, include discussion questions to encourage children to express their emotions; a version of Simon Says; a rather lackluster list of words to search, find, and count; and a drawing prompt. Throughout the book, short dialogic reading prompts are printed in page corners, asking readers to discuss the story, use their imagination, make narrative predictions, and look for objects in the illustrations. There are a large number of prompts, enough for several readings, which makes up for the few that are rather forced. For instance, "Fox and Lamb are having a playdate! Do you know which animal is which?" Although children's librarians are already familiar with these types of dialogic reading questions, many caregivers will find the modeling helpful. VERDICT A satisfying story and plenty of dialogic reading prompts for caregivers make this an excellent choice for a themed kit or toddler-preschool giveaway.-Amy Seto Forrester, Denver Public Library

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