From Publishers Weekly
In eight poems and accompanying portraits, Rylant (When I Was Young In the Mountains) and Dyer (I Love You Like Crazy Cakes) extol the joys of domestic life from a toddler's eye view. Taken together, the album is one big love fest from wake-up to tuck-in nothing is too prosaic for the author and illustrator to celebrate. Running errands, for example, means not only the chance to wave at everyone from inside Daddy's snazzy yellow Beetle, but plenty of adventures, too: "Stopping at the grocery store,/ stopping for the mail,/ stopping at the hardware now,/ 'cause Papa needs a nail." Even a rainy day is no reason for a boy to complain, thanks to a resourceful mother: "She brings out all his baby toys/ (the special ones for baby boys)./ .../ He rolls a ball across the room/ and sweeps the carpet with a broom." Dyer's remarkable facility for creating nostalgic scenes with a timeless feel is in evidence here. Her full-page and spot illustrations rendered in watercolor shimmer. While her characterizations occasionally teeter on the brink of sentimentality, her sensitivity to contemporary stylings and mores keep the paintings firmly planted in a child's universal experience. Rylant wears her heart on her sleeve with aplomb; every poem feels like a warm hug. Ages 1-5.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
reS-Eight poems that are fluid, relaxed, and unabashedly (some might say unrelievedly) sweet. From "Good Morning, Sweetie Pie" to "Sleepy-boy," each child is surrounded by love, security, and attention. In this world, rainy days aren't gloomy ("Baby loves a rainy day/when Mama keeps him in to play") and messes are indulged ("But Papa loves this baby so,/He doesn't mind her messes./He'll just keep washing Sweetie's face/And washing Sweetie's dresses"). Cute puppies and happy smiles abound. Rylant's writing, as usual, reads aloud well. And if ever text and pictures were perfectly matched, this is it. Dyer's oversized paintings are as lovely and soft as the poems. The design is delightful, with borders and other decorative elements enhancing the presentation. However, the overall effect is a bit cloying. After all, can poetry, even poetry for toddlers, be totally successful if it doesn't have an edge at all? Or if it never strikes more than a single note? Still, most libraries, especially those with active preschool users, may want to consider the book as an additional purchase.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
