Synopsis
In the spirit of her best-selling picture book No Matter What comes another warm, snuggly picture book from Debi Gliori. As a mama fox tucks her baby into bed, she soothes his nighttime fears of the storm outside his window with the promise of watching over him while he sleeps, just like all other baby animals around the world. The adorable illustrations and lilting rhyme will help see any child through the stormiest of weather or the darkest of nights.
Children's Literature
A mother fox settles her little one in for the night and the two imagine animals all over the world preparing for bed in a similar manner. Mother reassures her child that "in darkness black and soft and deep, I'll watch beside you while you sleep". In the imagined scenarios thunder and lightning rages, leaves swirl, trees bend in the wind, and rain falls in torrents; but all the animal mothers safely hold and protect their little ones. The warm palette of the opening pages depicting cozy nighttime rituals gives way to the dark tones of stormy skies and angry weather. The rhyming text is comforting and the watercolors clearly show contented babies lovingly embraced by their mothers whether in a tree or a warren or on an iceberg or a leaf raft. That mother's love is constant and ever vigilant is the comforting message. There is a great deal of warmth and charm in this book that most children will find satisfying but a child fearful of storms may be anxious after having this read at bedtime. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey