Our Love Grows

In response to the question “When will I be big?” a mother panda reveals just how far her child has come. Working in what looks to be watercolor and pencil, Australian author-illustrator Pignataro (Agatha) creates delicately ethereal landscapes for the pandas to traverse—forests dense with pine and bamboo, snowy hillscapes—while showcasing a playful tenderness in their explorations and interactions. In earlier days, the panda reminds her child, “Our favorite song went on and on./ Hide and seek took oh-so-long”; vignettes show the young panda singing tirelessly on one page and its mother (sort of) hidden behind a row of trees. The concluding idea that, as the panda child has grown, “my love for you has grown bigger too,” is pitch perfect in its spirit of cozy reassurance. Ages 4–8. Agent: Alexandra Devlin, Rights People. (Apr.)