I Love My Mommy Because...
Although the titles of these companion volumes threaten to engulf the reader in sentimental accounts of how parents endear themselves to children, they instead deliver sweetly appealing looks at how animals care for their young. The opening page of the first book reads, "I love my mommy because she reads me stories," and shows a boy and his mother curled up in an armchair. The motif throughout the second book, meanwhile, is "I love my daddy because he plays with me." Though the text that follows describes situations that children can identify with ("She feeds me when I'm hungry"; "He watches over me at night"), each illustration subsequently features either a domestic or wild animal with his or her young, clearly labeled and engaged in the specified action, and realistically depicted in native habitats. Unfortunately, the tendency here to emphasize Mommy as caretaker and Daddy as protector may reinforce sex-role stereotypes. Sturdy, coated pages and paper-over-board bindings make these reasonably priced books almost toddler-proof. Ages 18 mos.-4 yrs.Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.