Review by Kirkus Book Review
A bevy of bouncing babies tumble across the board pages of this joyful paean to love. As she did in I Will Love You Forever (2016) and Sweet Child of Mine (2014), Church reprises the theme of unconditional love and gentle assurance for new parents in this posthumous publication. From "Rise and shine! Let's say hello" to "It's time for bed, our day is through," these carefree toddlers are all smiles. The five diaper-clad tots are racially diverse; gender is not identified, though the baby with the longest hair (an exuberant Afro) is also wearing a pink T-shirt. The first five pages feature just one baby per page. Each is accompanied by the same winsome smiling brown teddy bear that mimics the baby's actions. No adult is shown in any of the pictures. The narrator could be an offstage adult or the voice of the children's thoughts. Brief rhyming text describes the actions of the toddlers. A couple movements resemble toddler attempts at yoga postures and mirror the text: "Twirl and whirl, twist and bend, / Leaping, dancing with our friend." Sturdy board pages and an optimistic view of baby behavior make this a good choice to tuck in with a gift for a new baby or to share with a toddler just mastering independent movement. A sweet but not saccharine charmer. (Board book. 6 mos.-2) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
