cover image Love You More Than Anything

Love You More Than Anything

Anna Harber Freeman, illus. by Jed Henry. Sterling, $9.95 (24p) ISBN 978-1-4549-0021-4

In this addition to the Snuggle Time Stories line, debut author Freeman and illustrator Henry (Good Night, Mouse!) offer a cozy assurance of parental love, with a close-knit family of chipmunks as their model. "Lazy daisy, grassy hugs./ Love you more than ladybugs./ Giggle, wiggle, jump, and run./ Love you more than playground fun," writes Freeman as four anthropomorphic chipmunks exit their tree-trunk home and head out to a jungle gym constructed from twigs. Both text and artwork emphasize low-tech, old-fashioned good times: after the playground visit, the family picnics outdoors, flies kites made of leaves, and makes chalk drawings before heading back home for cake, bath time, and bed. In keeping with that vibe, Henry dresses the boy chipmunk in a newsboy cap and suspendered pants, while his sister wears a smart sweater/skirt combo; their mother gets a full-length yellow dress and sunhat, and the animal friends they meet outdoors, including a frog and a squirrel, are similarly dapper. A comforting, low-key portrait of family togetherness. Ages 3%E2%80%935. Illustrator's agent: Shannon Associates. (Jan.)