HUG YOU, KISS YOU, LOVE YOU
by Joyce Wan ; illustrated by Joyce Wan
Round and friendly cartoon animal parents demonstrate how they take care of and show affection for their babies.
A bear, dog, elephant and more hug, tickle and bathe, respectively, a cub, puppy and calf. The loving critters are drawn with bold, brown lines, and muted swaths of blue, brown, aqua and cream fill them out. Many of the details on the animals, such as the interiors of the cats’ ears and the seals’ and whales’ tails, are heart-shaped. Hearts also appear in the background patterns that subtly emulate the creatures’ environs, such as heart-shaped leaves that appear behind the koala duo. The disjointed text, written in a variety of bubbly fonts, is made up of short, two- to five-word phrases on each spread describing the action: “I love to HUG you / tickle you / sing to you softly / carry you / bathe you / kiss you always / Baby, I LOVE you!”
This gooey sentiment almost gets out of hand with the pink, sparkly cover, but the friendly art makes it worth a look-see.
(Board book. 3 mos.-1)