The memorable new father in this endearing rhyming story may be brawny, but he melts at the sight of his baby boy: “Your mouth, your ears, and even your nose,/ your chubby cheeks and your wiggly toes,” he coos. In Italian artist De Lauretis’s grainy compositions, the father’s balloon-shaped bulk lies in comical contrast to the tininess of the infant (a ginger like his dad). The father bottle-feeds the boy, tickles his feet and tummy, and bathes him. As the boy gets a little older, the dad swaps out his baseball cap for a polka-dotted handkerchief: “A trip to the beach set the wheels in motion./ You built a sandcastle, took a dip in the ocean.” Bush’s easy-reading verse captures the wonder of becoming a parent and the joy to be found in the quiet moments of child care. Ages 1–3. (Mar.) -Publisher's Weekly

An engaging testament to the joys of new parenthood, the journey from the day baby arrives through the formative first year into toddlerhood is related in sweet rhymes with lots of love and emotion. In refreshing perspective, illustrations show the wee ginger-headed bundle interacting with a bearded, trucker-hat-and-plaid-shirt-wearing giant of a father who carefully prepares bottles, reads stories, and plays on the floor, clearly in awe of his beloved little one. Reviewed by Pallas Gates McCorquodale -Foreword Reviews