I Carry Your Heart With Me
Intriguing mixed-media illustrations, including cut paper in a variety of textures, colors, and patterns, highlight Cummings’ brief but poignant 1952 poem. A young woman expresses everlasting love for her child, beginning before the baby is born. By sharing the world with her daughter, the mother demonstrates how to love and respect nature in all forms. Exhibiting a reverence for the earth, trees, seasons, and animals, the two partake in various experiences, such as picnics, camping, and playing outside in all weather. A baby blue bird, from egg to first flight, mirrors the child’s growing independence from her mother. Rich color and simple shapes in the double-page-spread collages are appealing and invite scrutiny. This endearing and enduring expression of love makes a gentle bedtime book or sweet sharing anytime. Preschool-Grade 2. --Maryann Owen