cover image Will There Be a Lap for Me?

Will There Be a Lap for Me?

Dorothy Corey. Albert Whitman & Company, $15.99 (24pp) ISBN 978-0-8075-9109-3

``Kyle had a special place. It was not too hard and not too soft. It was just right for resting and talking and listening to stories and watching the birds. But Mother's stomach grew larger and larger and larger until it was very large indeed.'' When Kyle's mother becomes pregnant, he can no longer sit on her lap. Though he is excited about the new baby, the boy misses his special place. After his brother is born, Kyle realizes Mother has enough love and lap for both the baby and himself. The story ends as it begins, with Kyle sitting on his mother's lap, thereby reassuring children that even though many things in their lives will change, the most sacred will remain the same. In simple, soothing language Corey conveys the thoughts and feelings of a child anticipating the birth of a sibling. Poydar's cozy colored pencil and watercolor illustrations vividly portray Kyle's feelings and interaction with others. The rhythmic text and spirited illustrations thoughtfully blend to reach the very youngest children. Ages 2-5. (Mar.)