The Kiss Box

PreS—Mama Bear must go away for awhile and she attempts to console her child with such sentiments as, "I will always come back," as well as, "And even when I'm not with you, Little Bear, I'll send you love and kisses every minute of every day." Little Bear creates a "Kiss Box," in which he places a hundred kisses for his mother. He then requests that she make one for him, and he's calmed knowing that their love will be conveyed through the boxes while they are apart. Very similar to Audrey Penn's The Kissing Hand (Child Welfare League of America, 1993), this book is intended to assure children that they are remembered and cared about even when separated from their loved ones. Cole's charming and cheery watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations of Mama Bear and Little Bear enjoying the day before she leaves do much to make this title appealing. The audience for this sweet, tender tale is very young children who may be reassured by the tangible reminder of love.—Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI