ALA Booklist (Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 1994)

%% This is a multi-book review. SEE the title Joshua's Night Whispers for next imprint and review text. %% (Reviewed December 1, 1994)

Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 1994)

Three board books feature a young African-American boy in brief vignettes. Each of the texts describes an emotion--Joshua's love of the ocean, fear of noises at night, and comfort at being cared for--with a rhyming or poetic text and soft watercolor illustrations.

School Library Journal

PreS--These titles are characteristic of Johnson's earlier books in their emphasis on warm, loving relationships in an African American family. In Joshua by the Sea, a young boy enjoys a day at the beach with his family; in Joshua's Night Whispers, he seeks comfort from his father when he wakes up in the middle of the night; in Mama Bird, the child discovers a nest of baby birds with his sister; and in Rain Feet he splashes through puddles in a yellow slicker and boots. The pastel watercolor illustrations that fill each double-page spread are cozy and soothing, and the language is rhythmic and quietly reassuring. Solid choices to enhance any board-book collection.--Emily Kutler, Summit Free Public Library, NJ