cover image I Love You All Year Through

I Love You All Year Through

Stephanie Stansbie, illus. by Suzie Mason. Random House, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-9848-5149-9

This gentle bedtime book presents animal child and guardian pairs playing, exploring, and expressing their affection throughout the year. A fox and kit are together “when ice lights up the night/ and snowflakes drift/ upon the breeze,” and a rabbit parent places a reassuring paw on the young rabbit’s neck; the two gaze at a sunrise. A smoky gray horse and foal trot through a meadow, two squirrels curl up on a tree branch, and a wolf parent and pup share an affectionate gaze in a golden woodland clearing. Mason’s soft, light-filled landscapes convey a sense of the distant unknown, making the closeness of the animal companions especially poignant. Ages 2–5. [em](Mar.) [/em]