| ________________
CM . . . . Volume XXIII Number 17 . . . . January 13, 2017
excerpt:
"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." Since these words of Elizabeth Barrett Browning were first published in 1850, others have asked the same question and come up with their own answers. In More Than Balloons, a mother rabbit tells her kit how much she loves it via nine comparisons with, of course, her love being greater than that revealed in the rhyming comparisons. Crozier's examples are quite imaginative and include More than a pudding/loves a spoon and More than a lake/loves a loon. Though most of the comparisons will be outside the young listener/reader's life experience, the important idea that her/his parent loves her/him a great deal will definitely still come through. Each brief text comparison is located on a double-page spread with Miller's illustrations occupying the rest of the space. In many ways, Miller's cartoon-like animals resemble the various stuffed animals that might be found in a young child's room. Miller successfully strikes the balance between adding enough detail to keep the viewing youngster engaged while not overwhelming her/him. The penultimate spread finds mother rabbit, her kit, and many of the animals that have appeared in the book, having an outdoor picnic. The appearance of party hats, cupcakes and a gift suggest it may be the kit's birthday. The final spread sees the mother rabbit tucking her "child" into bed while uttering the summarizing words, that's how much/I love you. More Than Balloons is a fine addition to home board book collections and should be in all libraries serving this target audience. Highly Recommended. Dave Jenkinson, CM's editor, lives in Winnipeg, MB. Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Next Review |
Table of Contents for This Issue
- January 13, 2017. |
