How I Love You by Anna Pignataro

Far in the bush, Little Koala and Mummy were playing.

Little Koala hugged Mummy very tightly and said,

‘This is how I love you, Mummy.’

Far in the bush, Little Koala and Mummy were playing.

Little Koala hugged Mummy very tightly and said,

‘This is how I love you, Mummy.’

Little Koala shows his mother how he loves her. Other baby Australian animals follow suit, expressing their love for their mother in their own special ways. First the day animals, then the night animals declare and show their love. Finally, it’s bedtime for Little Koala and his Mummy shows just how much she loves her baby. Illustrations are soft watercolour with pencil outlines. Habitats are indicated in vignettes, but mostly the images are of the animals themselves. Paper stock is a rich cream, endpapers are a lovely night-blue.

This is a lovely gentle book to be shared with small children, while they are curled in the reader’s lap. Each animal shares a little of its habitat and behaviour before snuggling with mother. In the final pages, it’s made clear that no matter how much the young love their mother, their mother loves them more. An introduction to Australian animals for the very young. Recommended for pre-school children.

 

How I Love You

How I Love You, Anna Pignataro Scholastic Press 2014 ISBN: 9781742838182

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com