School Library Journal
PreS—Leaping across the cheery lemon-yellow book cover, a boy points right and beckons readers to open it to the front flap that declares, "From your nose to your toes, you are special." In bouncing rhymes and lyrical couplets, a group of preschoolers celebrate the skills and abilities of each body part, and then lovingly offers gratitude for two hands to pray, one heart to listen, and one mouth to say "Thank You!" Bauer's lilting text matches the jubilant energy in Stephenson's watercolor rainbow palette. Energetic slanting lines deftly express movement and action, as in one spread with a boy sprinting from left to right into a rain puddle. Highlighting the cozy security that a loving father offers his daughter during a "boom-a-room, room-a-boom" thunderstorm in another spread, Stephenson uses rounded comforting shapes, including a teddy bear that appears to be listening in to Daddy's consoling words. Vibrant colors balanced on mainly white and roomy backgrounds enhance clarity. For instance, tangy oranges are often paired with sky blues, and lime greens with tomato reds to balance the colors in harmony. Pair this bubbly book that celebrates children's creativity with Eric Carle's From Head to Toe (HarperCollins, 1997) for an exuberant body-themed storytime.—James K. Irwin, Evanston Public Library, IL
Kirkus Reviews
Bauer offers a simple celebration of self suitable for babies and toddlers that identifies basic body parts and functions with gentle, rhyming text that uses just a few words per page. Midway through the book, the children use their "two hands to pray," moving on to say thank you for all those body parts and concluding, "thank you for me." The fluid rhythm and graceful rhyme make it a useful choice for babies just moving into longer books. Stephenson's watercolors follow the gentle mood of the text with soft colors, rounded shapes and smiling children enjoying pleasant experiences such as dancing, twirling with a hula hoop and playing music. Her illustrations use lots of white space and not too many background details, so youngsters can focus on the children in the illustrations without too many distractions. Though God is not actually mentioned in the text, this understated offering can serve as an introduction to prayer for toddlers and their families. (Picture book/religion. 1-3)