04 Feb / Little Baby Buttercup by Linda Ashman, illustrated by You Byun
Go ahead and admit it: you were immediately, gleefully smiling when you saw that adorable face on the cover! [That sweet visage, actually, is not so unlike her talented creator … click here to compare!] Get ready: infectious happiness ahead!
Linda Ashman’s a-very-busy-day-in-the-life-of-a-toddler is one enchanting adventure. Little Baby Buttercup wakes with a cuddle and a kiss: “… how I love to scoop you up. / Scoop you up and hold you near.” She moves throughout the day with her doting mother in tow, from a meal that’s as much to eat as it is to wear, to building a skyscraper with the pet pooch, to wandering the verdant yard and colorful playground both, finding sweet refuge from the rain, to bedtime with a book (of course) …
You Byun knows exactly how to imbue each page with effusive energy, inviting discoveries, and just plain fun. From hair decorated with jelly, outstretched arms to catch a bluebird’s feather, to pudgy (furry) cheeks filled with acorns, to raindrops bouncing off uplifted faces, to flowers stashed in a side pocket, the delight is surely in the details.
Ashman’s melodious verse captures a single day, but Byun’s art certainly makes the message that much clearer: day-by-day, time is passing oh so quickly, and Buttercup – like all our wonderbundles – won’t always be a toddler: “… look how fast you’re growing up!” [Teenagerhood is a whole other story, ahem!] Take heed: “[L]ucky me, to be with you” is not for long. Playtime happens now.
Readers: Children
Published: 2015