Quickie Review - "All the Things I Love About You"

Are you a fan of LeUyen Pham yet? If not, what's the matter with you? This chick rocks. As an illustrator, whether she's helping Alvin Ho hide from girls, or putting Mommy to bed, she's a guaranteed good time. With All the Things I Love About You, she's both writer and illustrator, and she's bringing us what reads like a personal love letter to her own sons, but works for all mothers everywhere. And though the dedication calls for "mamas who love their little boys" and the book is definitely about the relationship between mother and son, it is a book that would work for all children. Pham is very universal in her adoration, in all the little things that a mother loves; things like "the way your hair looks in the morning" and "the way you eat". This is a very sweet book, but it avoids the treacley muddle of some parent/child books. Pham's signature illustration style of bold outlines, movement and body language go a long way towards cutting the sugar. I dare anyone not to laugh at the expression of pure excitement on the face of the boy as the mother loves "how you skip the letter 'Y' in the alphabet because 'Z' is so much fun to say". This book is a great gift for expectant mothers, and an even better bedtime story.

All the Things I Love About You
LeUyen Pham, Balzer + Bray
Library copy