sweetening

PreSchool-Grade 2–As she did in Jonathan and His Mommy (1992) and Kevin and His Dad (1999, both Little, Brown), Smalls once again focuses on family relationships. In this charming picture book, an African-American girl tells readers about a special day that she shares with her grandmother. From a tea party and pat-a-cake to bath and bedtime, the routine activities will be widely recognized and celebrated for their simple pleasures. The child's voice allows the story to take on the rhythm of poetry. Several lines in particular recall many grandchild/grandparent relationships: I am the smartest girl in the world/I know because my Nana told me so, and Nana calls me her baby girl, but I'm/not a baby, I'm big. The affection between the two is reinforced by the golden-hued background and the watercolor illustrations of the smiling pair as they spend time together. The text adds to the playful spirit of the story by dancing across the pages and changing font style to emphasize certain words. A sweetening title that should win lots of smiles.–Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.