Starred Review for Publishers Weekly

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%E2%80%938. (Dec.)

ALA Booklist (Mon Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Mom regales her baby boy by telling him everything she loves about him, tracing his day from morning to night. Pham generates touches of humor when the text and pictures suggest completely different scenarios: "I love . . . how you eat" accompanies a series of small pictures showing baby refusing to eat, gobbling greedily, spilling his milk, and wearing as much as he's eaten. Elsewhere, her illustrations capture the impish gleam in the child's eye and his little pranks, such as running off in his birthday suit when Mom tries getting him out of his pajamas. Splashes of color and ample white space frame the images, making the visuals clear for the youngest audience. With its predictable conclusion ostly, I just love you" ere's not much new here, but children will giggle, and mothers and grandmas will enjoy sharing this reassuring message with infants and toddlers at bedtime.

Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

A mother lovingly chases after her little boy as he explores his world. This paean of praise from mother to son (father has his parenting time, too) is tender and heartfelt, if adult-centered. The warm, dark-outlined illustrations, including lots of white space, echo the text's affectionate tone while incorporating some of the humor and chaos involved in a typical toddler's day.

Kirkus Reviews

The Mommy-loves-her-young-'un genre is so jam-packed that new entries need to really shine in order to find a place, and this one doesn't. Rhapsodizing about her young son's ways, this mother finds her boy so adorable that her first-person narration, though she addresses it directly to her son as "you," may be more likely to hit the sweet spot for doting parents than little readers. His activities—messy eating, running around naked (no frontal view), "play[ing] with Papa," hugging, laughing—are presented as simultaneously typical and precious. Some pages will amuse kids, such as the text and funny picture for "I love the way your hair looks in the morning," while others take too long a view ("I love how every day you grow just a little more...") or wax too sentimentally metaphorical ("I love the feel of your heartbeat / as if you have a butterfly fluttering in your insides") to engage tots. Illustrations feel somewhat strained, the figures' outlines too sketch-like to be anchoring but too heavy to successfully convey motion. Disappointingly bland; Pham has done much better. (Picture book. 2-4)

School Library Journal (Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2010)

PreS-K On each spread of this picture-book love story, a mother describes one of the things she loves about her preschooler, from the way his hair looks in the morning to the way he hugs. Pham uses full-page, half-page, and spot art against a white background to illustrate this familial bond. Her pen, ink, and digital art is the star here. She is such a master at conveying a full range of facial expressions and delightful comic details in her lively sketches that much of her slight text is unnecessary. Mothers will enjoy reading this to their sons, but it is not likely to become a favorite with children. It would make a lovely gift for Mother's Day or for a new mother, but it is not a first purchase for children's collections. Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY