Made for Me

The memorable new father in this endearing rhyming story may be brawny, but he melts at the sight of his baby boy: “Your mouth, your ears, and even your nose,/ your chubby cheeks and your wiggly toes,” he coos. In Italian artist De Lauretis’s grainy compositions, the father’s balloon-shaped bulk lies in comical contrast to the tininess of the infant (a ginger like his dad). The father bottle-feeds the boy, tickles his feet and tummy, and bathes him. As the boy gets a little older, the dad swaps out his baseball cap for a polka-dotted handkerchief: “A trip to the beach set the wheels in motion./ You built a sandcastle, took a dip in the ocean.” Bush’s easy-reading verse captures the wonder of becoming a parent and the joy to be found in the quiet moments of child care. Ages 1–3. [em](Mar.) [/em]