You're my boo

Though the title might suggest a hip, slangy ode to parental affection, Dopirak's debut picture book takes a cuddlier approach as a mother fox describes her children in a series of rhyming terms of endearment: "You're my peek-a-boo, my sneak-a-boo,/ my laughing-till-you-squeak-a-boo./ Go! Stop! Walk! Run!/ You're my funny honey bun." Working in a loose, cartoony style, newcomer Withrow uses rough strokes of pencil, vibrant collage elements, and digital coloring to create a friendly patchwork backdrop for the small domestic dramas that unfold over a single day. While these foxes have a happy home, it isn't all smiles and giggles-there's squabbling between the two siblings, a broken toy, and a tiny slip and fall, all of which are resolved with a bit of parental TLC. Dopirak's rhymes can get a bit treacly ("You're my yuck-a-boo, my yum-a-boo"), but they're unerring in their rhyme and meter and, along with Withrow's tender illustrations, create a comforting mood from start to finish. Up to age 8. Author's agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. Illustrator's agency: Christina A. Tugeau Artist Agency. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Toddler-PreS-From morning to night, a mother fox loves her children, especially her oldest, her "Boo." She gives him affectionate nicknames throughout the day as the kit and his younger sister eat, play, and squabble. Whether he's nice or mean, happy or sad, Mom is always there to hug and snuggle her Boo. The rhyming text, printed in a large font and nicely laid out for reading aloud to children, bounces along merrily. Adults may find the cutesy text (pretty much everything rhymes with "boo") endearing, but kids may find some sections confusing, for instance, the long, hyphenated nickname "my banging-like-a-drum-a-boo." The singsong text and spreads are interrupted by quartets of sequential actions punctuated with single-syllable words, "Yes! No! Nice! Mean!" These sequences show the siblings quarreling, after which their mother always reassures them that she loves them. Sometimes it seems as though the resolutions are glossed over. Thankfully, the illustrations, rendered in pencil and colored with hand-painted collage pieces and digital painting, provide more of a story arc, as well as family interactions for readers to explore and discuss. VERDICT An additional purchase for public libraries looking for more bedtime tales.-Amy Seto Forrester, Denver Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.