Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Reaching





Reaching. Judy Ann Sadler. Illustrated by Susan Mitchell. 2011. Kids Can Press. 32 pages.

Mama is reaching
Lifts Baby up high
She swings him and sings him
A sweet lullaby.


Daddy is reaching 
To kiss Baby's nose
He laughs and he tickles
Plump tummy and toes.


Sister is reaching
Wants in on the huddle
More kisses and tickles--
A fun family cuddle.

I love this one. I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. Is it sweet? Yes. Is it precious? Yes. Is it too cute for its own good? I don't think so. I *know* everyone has their own cute-tolerance. And, for some, a sweet picture book can become sickeningly sweet. But for me, Reaching is JUST RIGHT.

Reaching is about a family welcoming a new baby--a new baby boy--into the family. EVERY member of the family is excited--thrilled--with his arrival. They just can't get enough of their dear, dear, sweet baby boy. But this isn't exactly a book about a 'newborn' baby. The baby is seen sitting and taking some small steps, etc. Instead it is a celebration of life, of love, of family.

I love the text. I love the rhyming. I know I can be a bit picky when it comes to rhymes. Something either works for me, or it doesn't. But in this case, I thought it was just about right, just about perfect.

And the illustrations. I am ABSOLUTELY loving the illustrations. I just LOVE them. They're super-sweet, super-cute. Just delightful!

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10


© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers

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