HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW
Book: Love Me, Love You
Author: Susan Heyboer O’Keefe
Illustrator: Robin Spowart
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press, 2001
ISBN-13: 978-1563978371
ISBN-10: 1563978377
Language level: 1 (nothing objectionable)
Reading level: Ages 2-5
Rating: 5 stars (EXCELLENT)
Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker
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O’Keefe, Susan Heyboer. Love Me, Love You (published in 2001 by Boyds Mills Press). When I was growing up, we raised rabbits, so I always think of rabbits as cute, cuddly creatures. Love Me, Love You follows a mother rabbit and her long-eared toddler throughout a day filled with dress-up, potty break, silly games, and lots of hugs, as told through a conversation between the young rabbit and his mom. Activities and items cataloged are perfect for the intended age group and include a favorite teddy bear, a messy breakfast (“Love me, love my bear./ Love the oatmeal in my hair”), a splashy bath, and a peaceful nap. Author O’Keefe’s simple text takes on the rhythm of a jump-rope rhyme and bounces along in a convincingly childlike way.
Illustrator Spowart’s pastel pictures are pared down to their most essential elements, but his colors, featuring lots of blues, purples, and pinks, infuse each situation with warmth. One reviewer called this a “valentine to the mother-child bond,” and another “a celebration of the loving relationship between toddler and parent.” The ideal accompaniment to an extended snuggle, this lovely, sensitive book with its exquisite rhyme and muted illustrations is a perfect bed-time read aloud which parents will enjoy reading to their children almost as much as the children will love hearing over and over again, or a great story for beginning readers to tackle. We used it for both when our younger son Jeremy was beginning to read and loved it.
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