Review by Booklist Review
With simple, straightforward text and colorful mixed-media illustrations, an array of anthropomorphized beings from quirky, imaginative creatures to some more familiar animals lend a whimsical visual quality to ubiquitous sentiments of affection. An unnamed narrator asks, Do you know what I love? and the subsequent scenarios offer many answers. I love when you're creative appears on a spread depicting a mouse dabbing paint on an easel, while a kooky friend builds with blocks. The following spread adds, even when things get messy now the mouse, splattered in paint, is akimbo atop a pile of blocks. Similar scenes account for the remaining pages, until the cheery final spread, reading Do you know WHO I love? I love you! The abstracted, textural collage artwork, incorporating bright patterns, textiles, and childlike touches, is eye-catching, though some elements or details may be difficult to discern for younger ones, and some creatures many with prominent googly eyes, another consisting mainly of an oversize, toothy mouth might even be startling. Still, many experiences will be familiar, and the expressions are supportive and reassuring.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In Farrington's first children's book, a parent praises its child's creativity, kindness, and other attributes. Read on its own, the text could be seen as borderline treacly ("Do you know what I love? I love when you're brave"), but the wonderfully oddball monster-animals on display in Farrington's collaged scenes speak joyfully to the happy chaos of family life: a round, carpet-textured creature with eyestalks unselfconsciously beams a gap-toothed smile to rival the most awkward of school photos, and later a lumpy beastie with a body made from grass uses six of its 12 appendages to tuck its little one in at night. It's a quirky ode to love, but an undeniably comforting one, too. Ages 4-8. Agent: Laurie Abkemeier, DeFiore and Company. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Toddler-PreS-In Farrington's debut picture book, monster parents ask, "Do you know what I love?" The monster children, who look like a combination of cute animals and aliens, are shown doing typical toddler and preschooler activities. Monster parents love their children when they smile, sing, create, and show kindness to others. Silliness means playing dress-up. Bravery is illustrated with a go-kart ride down a hill. Reading and sleeping merit extra love. The mixed-media illustrations consist of collages of different textures, patterns, and colors. Verbs stand out from the main text. VERDICT Children will feel loved after listening to this title read aloud to them. A bright and appealing lapsit choice.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, Alta. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Farringtons picture-book debut looks at all the things an adult caregiver loves about a child.I love when you / SMILE. // Right before you SING at the top of your lungs, the narrator asserts. I love when youre CREATIVE. // Even when things get MESSY. A caring adult loves holding hands but also loves when the child lets go to make a friend. The text may be similar to that found in numerous what-I-love-about-you books, but the mixed-media collages are distinctly unlike most in the genre. Photographs of found items, cut and digitally assembled, are placed on white backgrounds. Beautiful natural elements (vegetation, clouds, butterflies) stand out, especially the trees with teardrop-shaped leaves in rainbow hues. But the characters are something else. They may sport clothing and accessories and behave in human ways, but they are not at all human. Some are recognizable animalsa lion on a recumbent bike, for instancebut more are monsterlike creatures or hodgepodges of animal features; a yellow beast with a horselike snout, bug eyes, humanlike torso, and tiny arms and wings illustrates getting messy, for example. Readers may not know what to make of these sometimes-ugly beasts, which clash with the message delivered by the text, though they do nicely sidestep typical (and stereotypical) gender and racial depictions. This could be a conversation starter about the manifestation of love between an adult-child reading paironce theyve parsed the attention-getting artwork. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
