I'll always hold your hand

PreS-K--As with Robert Munsch's classic Love You Forever, this book's message is perfectly summed up by its title. Plotless, the text consists of sincere, loving phrases from an invisible caretaker to a baby animal. The narrator--presumably the parent--promises to hold the baby's hand, play peek-a-boo, and change their diaper. The animals have a pastel watercolor look. Thin black lines are used only to create mouths and closed eyes. Because the characters are not outlined, they look soft and cuddly. Like a human baby, they have giant heads and big eyes. In fact, the baby animals are treated as baby humans. They wear diapers and play with toys, and they are adorable, e.g., the baby cow has a stuffed cow toy tucked into bed with her. A baby human with white skin and a blue hair bow is depicted on the final page. On that page, the text sums up the book's loving ideas and concludes with a last line echoing the title. VERDICT This gentle and heartwarming title is a sweet, if unremarkable, addition to any board book collection.--Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill P.L., MA

A variety of caregivers, both animal and human, share how they attend to the needs of their little ones. On each spread, we see a large illustration of a cartoon baby against a muted or white background. The youngsters are depicted in cozy situations, often looking lovingly off the page toward the unseen parent. A kid (the goat kind) utters its first words; a bunny cries while lying in its crib; a kitten plays peekaboo from behind pillows; and a puppy enjoys a bubble bath. Despite the animal stand-ins, the scenes mostly progress through a day that is typical for a human little one, culminating with a White toddler with brown hair asleep in a bed while the off-page caregiver promises to love the child and repeat it all again the next day. Van Genechten's art is as cuddly as ever; however, the text, translated from Dutch, reads oddly in a few spots and includes a misspelling: "I play peek-a-book with you / where are you / there you are." The translator uses the word tussle for a reference to a lamb's puffy topknot hairdo, though tousle should be employed instead. Some of the described actions in the text are not visible in the art, and parents and caregivers are not seen interacting with the little ones. This may be confusing and unsatisfying for the target audience. Adorable but half-baked. (Board book. 1-3) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.