There are many books that feature a mother telling her child how much she loves him or her. That's what happens here, too. But after reading about how much a mother loves her son, children can flip the book over and be treated to the boy telling his mother the same thing. Although the rhymes are sometimes forced, and the mother's words are conventional (I love you taller than the tallest tree ever grew), the boy's observations have a sweet, kidlike quality: I love you longer than the longest lollipop ever lasted. The artwork has the look of a child's own brightly colored drawing, with figures slightly out-of-proportion, eyes wide, mouths a slash of a line. Cheeriness is the overarching feeling from the art, as both mother and child stretch to explain how much the other is loved.

In the first half of this rhyming book, a mother tells her son how much she loves him. Readers flip the book over to find the second half, in which the boy describes his love for his mom. The design, with both sections ending on the same double-page spread, is clever; however, the illustrations are unremarkable and the text gushingly sentimental.

A mother tells her son that she loves him “higher than the highest bird ever flew, /...taller than the tallest tree ever grew.” The son responds that he loves his mother even more, and by flipping the book over, readers can see how he expresses their relationship: “I love you quieter than the quietest caterpillar ever creeped/...further than the furthest frog ever leaped.” The two versions, mother's and son's, meet in the middle, expressed by text circling a globe— “I love you more than anything in the whole wide world”—so that the book's two-in-one format becomes an embodiment of the endless reciprocity of parent-child love. First-time author Kuksta's declarations feel honest and age-appropriate; Mom's words bring to mind classic pop songs, while the boy usually expresses his feelings by comparing them to lollipops, swings and rocket ships. But former photographer Keesler's pastel artwork and “Love is…” characterizations never rise above greeting-card level, offering little reason to choose this book over the many others that share its <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Runaway Bunny/<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Guess How Much I Love You sentiments and construct. Ages 4-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Nov).

PreS-Gr 2-Two books in one. Read one way, it is the parent who responds to the child's question, "just how much do you love me?" With the book turned over and read from the back, the mother asks the question of her son. Both answers are given in rhyming couplets as the pair try to prove the depth and strength of their love. Some of the rhymes work well, but others seem forced, e. g., "I love you longer than the longest path ever wound./I love you prettier than the prettiest flower ever found." At the middle, where the two books meet, readers see that the two love one another "more than anything in the whole wide world." The large illustrations are colorful and childlike, but the text trips the tongue. Similar titles, such as Sam McBratney's Guess How Much I Love You (Candlewick, 1995), are more lyrical to read. Consider this one an additional purchase.-Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.