I'll Never Let You Go

PreS—The creators of I Love You Night and Day (Bloomsbury, 2014) are back with another sweet book bearing a message of unconditional love and support. Soft and colorful mixed-media illustrations show various adult and child animal pairs engaged in assorted activities. As each of the young animals display a different emotion or behavior, the brief, rhyming text provides reassurance that they are supported through the highs as well as the lows. For example, one spread shows a puppy holding a crayon behind his back, while the wall beside him is covered with childlike drawings. The adult dog stands with hands on hips, looking slightly displeased, and the text reads, "When you are naughty, I see that too… But I know that really you know what to do." The warm and calm presence of the adult in each scene, even during these more challenging moments, is supported by the gentle and spare verses. The gender-neutral animal pairs could easily represent a number of close relationships, from parent and child to grandparent and grandchild to an older and younger sibling.