PPBF: I Love You As Much . . .

Today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick

I Love You As Much . . .
Written by Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Henri Sorensen
HarperCollins, 1993
Preschool-2nd grade, 24 pp

Themes:
love, motherhood, animal babies



Opening:
Said the mother horse to her child, "I love you as much as a warm summer breeze."

Said the mother bear to her child, "I love you as much as the forest has trees."

Synopsis:
Laura Krauss Melmed's rhyming text presents the reader with eight mother and child animal pairs. Each mother in I Love You As Much . . . equates her love to something in her environment. The bear loves her cub like she loves the forest. The mouse loves her pinkie as much as she loves grain. The goat's love is as rugged and high as the mountain. The book ends with a human mother comforting her baby and putting him to sleep.

What I Love:
As gentle and rhythmic as the rocking of a cradle, this picture book will lull little ones into that sense of peace they can usually only find in Mommy's arms. Henri Sorensen's watercolors are by turns vivid and cozy. We enjoyed this book with each of our children, even memorizing the text for difficult cars rides. It's a perfect Mother's Day gift.


Bonus: 
1. Read about the history of the American Mother's Day celebration or its roots in ancient times.

Thanks to Miss Morgan of Brilliant Beginnings Preschool.

2. You'll find a coloring pages of babies and their siblings free on picgifs.
3. Make a mother's day card with the instructions from BrilliantBeginnings or use thrift store jigsaw puzzle pieces instead.

4. The American Astronomical Society  has a splendid article on growing up with a scientist mom and the main page links to women in the sciences. Great STEM stuff!
5. ZooBorns lists animals and their special baby names, or quiz yourself using the list on EnchantedLearning 

6. Laura Krauss Melmed is a consummate rhymer. Use these Mother's Day poems as a spring board for young readers to try their hand at writing something poetic for their moms.
7. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.

Reviewed by Stacy

Reviewed by Julie

Reviewed by Wendy

Reviewed by Joanne

Reviewed by Barbara

Reviewed by Barbara

Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for May 8, 2015 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.