cover image KISSES

KISSES

Nanda Roep, Nada Roep, Handprint, , illus. by Marijke ten Cate. . Front Street/Lemniscaat, $15.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-1-886910-85-0

A raccoon child's request for a goodnight kiss sparks her father's imagination in this sweet and silly bedtime story from a Dutch duo. In Cate's opening spread, Lisa lies tucked under a checked blanket; grainy brushstrokes warm the room with shades of honey. " 'Will you give me a kiss?' [she asks]. 'Of course,' Daddy says. 'Do you want...' " Just a few words suffice for the playful spreads that follow. At first, Daddy startles Lisa with "a witch's kiss"; his shadowy prance, broomstick and hat drive her to the edge of her bed. In other examples, Daddy's humor transports them both. "A butterfly kiss" takes the pair to a bamboo forest; "a circus kiss" finds them under the big top while Lisa's stuffed animals perform acrobatics. The presence of the heroine's blue bed anchors the imaginary scenes, as do the physical displays of father/daughter affection. Daddy and Lisa's tender game may well tempt parents and children to try it, too. Ages 2-6. (Oct.)