ME WITH YOU
by Kristy Dempsey and illustrated by Christopher Denise
A grandfather bear and his granddaughter enjoy each other’s company in a variety of ways. Dempsey sets up a verse structure that at first appeals but quickly wears thin. The girl bear says, “When I am me, I’m dressed for tea / with you beside my chair, / Your head held high, you nibble pie / with fancy silverware,” and so on: “When I am me, I’m swinging / over puddles from a rope,” “I’m me when I am chasing down / the wind that swiped your hat,” etc. Grammatical incorrectness aside (nominative cannot be objective), the relentless repetition begs the question, When is this little bear not herself? Denise supplies warmly affectionate intergenerational vignettes that provide visual interest, but possibly not enough to save this well-intentioned effort. (Picture book. 3-6)