The Way I Love You Bb

I love . . . the way you always care, the way you're always there . . . That's the way I love you. A triumph of simplicity in words and pictures, it is impossible not to be moved by this story about a little girl with a big personality, and her long-suffering, much-loved dog. Editorial Reviews From School Library Journal PreS-As a smiling girl interacts with her enthusiastic pup, she describes her feelings for the dog: "I love...the way you always care,/the way you're always there./That's the way I love you." The engaging illustrations show the two friends sharing a variety of experiences: wearing crowns and having tea, playing with a tennis ball, snuggling together in a soft chair, and finally cuddled up at bedtime. Loose charcoal lines provide texture and motion, while splashes of pastel-hued watercolors keep the pictures warm and cozy. White backdrops and a minimum of detail encourage children to focus their attention on the characters. The girl, in her pink overalls and perky pigtails, and the brown pooch are both drawn with grace and expression. The simple language and clean, colorful artwork make this book just right for the youngest pet lovers.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal Copyright å¨ Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Booklist PreS-K. In this gentle poem celebrating the bond between a child and a cherished pet, a pigtailed toddler counts the ways she adores her sleek little dog (modeled on James' own Australian kelpie). While praising the pup's excellence as playmate, confidant, and snug nighttime presence, the verses only nominally rhyme (on one occasion, "run so fast" pairs with "come straight back"), but the cozy, satisfying refrain, "And that's the way I love you," will easily spill off the page and into lap-sitters' dialogues with their own loved ones. James' minimalist style occasionally leaves the connections between the visuals and the slender text somewhat tenuous, as when a line about sharing accompanies a rather subtle image of the dog standing lookout while his mistress steals cookies from the cookie jar. Still, the feathery, scribbly pastels exude an irrepressible joy that's very much in the puppy spirit. Jennifer Mattson Copyright å© American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.