You Are Loved

Connecting a child with the natural world, Rim’s simple but evocative work generates a grounding feeling of abiding love. In each spread, loopy cursive lettering links the book’s refrain with an element from nature, while facing pages offer brief experiential elaborations: “You are loved by grass.../ as it softens your path.” Throughout, a youth, portrayed with bunny ears, scribbly black hair, and skin that reflects the white of the page, relishes various encounters. In one watercolor, pencil, and digital scene, the figure climbs a tree washed in vibrant purple blooms (“You are loved by the trees...// as they lift you up high”). In another, cloud animals and shapes emerge from smudges of aqua sky while the child looks on (“You are loved by the clouds...// they bring you new friends”). As examples proceed, night falls, resulting in, via a human dimension, a comforting homey effect. Ages 4–8. (May)