Catching Kisses
Children love kisses: the way they sound, how they feel, and the emotion they evoke. They are particularly fascinated by the imagined trajectory and landing of a blown kiss. Gibson captures all that and more in rhythmic, evocative phrases that describe kisses sailing, smelling of ginger and cinnamon, feeling as velvet as peach fuzz, and smacking like bubble gum. Literal-minded readers may find it confusing that the kiss is represented by an airborne dandelion seed after a child blows on a seed head, but it provides a visual to follow not the short distance they might expect, but around the United States. Van Lieshout’s digital art replicates woodblock prints and takes readers from urban, suburban, forest, and waterfront settings across the land of opportunity, striking a patriotic note. In the closing scene, the beloved recipient of the kiss is seen snug and secure in a boat named Dream. It is a bit of a stretch, but adults will still appreciate the sentiment, while youngsters will eagerly await the kisses the book is sure to engender. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Jeanne  McDermott