Don't Forget I Love You

Some picture books are written to deliver a certain sense of comfort to their preschool readerdom. They might reassure children that no monsters lurk in dark shadows beneath their bed, or that going to school for the first time can be scary but fun. But there's a really basic worry that children feel even if they may not always be able to vocalize it. It's the worry that one's parents no longer love them because they've been naughty or bad in some way. And if yesterday you had stopped me on the street, point blank, to ask me to name a picture book, just off the top of my head, that confronted this fear, I would've been up a tree. Maybe I would've babbled something about the end of "No, David" by David Shannon. No longer. Now when someone asks me to name such a book, I have "Don't Forget I Love You" to back me up. A sweet tale of a mother-son relationship that is ever-so briefly tested and survives intact. From the moment Billy wakes up in the morning the day gets off to a slow start. In Billy's own words, "Rabbit's being naughty". Billy's stuffed rabbit is the cause of a lot of delay as both boy and mother get ready for the day. When Billy's supposed to wash his hands, Rabbit won't "eat" his egg. When Billy's supposed to get dressed for the day, Rabbit has a stomach ache (according to Billy). And when Billy's supposed to brush his teeth, Rabbit's buttons are all askew. By the time Billy drops both Rabbit and his lunchbox in the mud on the way to school (in the midst of blustery rainy weather), Mama's had enough. So Billy gets dropped off to school, late, without Rabbit (forgotten in Mama's bag) and without Mama remembering to say she loves him. This is nearly enough to set Billy off into a truly miserable tantrum. Fortunately, all is resolved in the end when Mama returns apologetic and gives Billy both his beloved stuffed toy and his much needed, "I love you" There's not much of a plot to this remarkably simple story. And the book could've stood a little more clarification when it comes to whether or not this is actually a book about childhood fears of not being loved. Still, it's awfully sweet. Author Miriam Moss has a whole heaping helpful of books of this nature already under her belt as it is. Fortunately, she's been paired here with illustrator Anna Currey. And while the pictures aren't exactly going to blow you away, they fit the text nicely. Parents looking for books that support single mother homes might also appreciate Mama's position in this tale. Not only must she get her kid out the door and herself off to work but she must battle raging winds, an unruly stuffed pet, and a laconic tot to boot. This is not the first, second, or even third title that I'd recommend if someone were to ask for a good picture book. But when it comes to the specific fears it confronts, should someone want a book of this nature, "Don't Forget I Love You" would be a first choice. A truly nice tale in a neat little package.