Who Loves Me?

Starred review from October 16, 2017
A raccoon family stars in this tenderhearted companion to Ben Loves Bear, Bella Loves Bunny, and other board books. As Walter and his mother put together a blueberry pie, he asks her variations on the title’s question. Mama supplies several answers—Walter’s father loves him, as do his grandparents, pets, and friends—but there’s someone she isn’t mentioning. “There just has to be someone else who loves me!” Walter insists. McPhail’s paintings hum with subdued familial warmth, young readers will readily recognize who Mama has “forgotten,” and human mothers will appreciate the gentle game she’s playing and the way that she (like so many moms) puts herself last. Up to age 3. Agent: Faith Hamlin, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

January 1, 2018
A little raccoon is well-loved.Walter and his mama (both raccoons) are picking blueberries for a pie. Walter knows he loves blueberries, and that gets him thinking. He asks his mother, "Who loves me?" "Daddy loves you," Mama replies. But that isn't enough for Walter. The little raccoon keeps prodding his Mama to know who else might love him as they make the pie back home: his grandparents and aunt do, along with his dog and his cat (except when he pulls her tail), and so do his friends. And finally Walter eventually gets the answer he wanted in the first place. The text is straightforward, and the scratchy, warmly colored illustrations pull little readers right into the snuggly atmosphere. The artist alternates between full spreads and small vignettes in rounded, loose borders. Though it's longer than most board books, the repetitive nature of the text makes this book an ideal addition to the bedtime story shelf.A lovely and reassuring tale. (Board book. 2-5)

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