All the Things I Love About You

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY OCT 25, 2010

In this made-for-snuggling tribute to a mother's love for her son, a hip, young mother catalogues all the things she adores in her rambunctious preschool-age son, from his bedhead to his messy habits at the dinner table. "I love how you look in pajamas," writes Pham (Bedtime for Mommy), as the boy strikes an aren't-I-adorable pose, with a blanket draped over his head. This gush, however, is quickly followed with the caveat that "getting you out of them is another story," as a series of spot images show mother and son tussling with clothing until the little boy literally streaks away. Most of the vignettes are mother-son centric, but there is a tip of the hat to the other parent, with a series of scenes paired with the text, "I love watching you play with Papa. Sometimes" (like many mothers, the narrator cringes when Dad holds their offspring upside down). In capturing the goofy spontaneity of affection and everyday family life without a whiff of treacle, Pham proves once again that she's among the most natural and gifted illustrators working today. Ages 4 8.