Did You Know That I Love You?

PreS-K—Employing digitally created cartoon illustrations and a brief hand-lettered text, Pierce shows young readers the many ways in which little Bird expresses her love for Fox. In the interesting and unusual twist of a smaller animal initiating a loving exchange with a larger one, Bird captures Fox's attention by calling to him from her tree branch, echoing the book's title, "Did you know that I love you?" A small image of Fox, who replies, "Who, me?" becomes, with a page turn, a larger view of the smiling creature as he hears Bird's welcome answer, "Yes, you!" Bird demonstrates her feelings by giving him kisses and hugs and even comforting him with hot tea. She hopes her expressions of love will fill his ears both day and night, for she has "written [her love] on the ceiling and…painted it on the skies." Even when Fox grows up, Bird promises her love for him "will always be." And because love goes both ways, Fox replies, "I love you too." Bird and Fox are depicted as loving companions, Bird often riding on Fox's back or on top of his head or folded in his arms. Uncluttered illustrations and minimal rhyming text enclosed in speech balloons make this a good choice for one-on-one sharing and an opportunity for adults to assure their own little ones of their unconditional love.—Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT