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Tanco follows his odes to
father-child and brother-brother relationships (You and Me, Me and You: Brothers, 2018, etc.) with this one
dedicated to mothers and children.
As in his previous titles, the
author keeps readers on their toes with the page turn. The tiny tyke in these
pages tests both her mother’s flexibility (standing on her leg as the mom does
an inverted yoga pose) and, on the next page, her reflexes (mom dodges a kicked
ball). Every parent will relate to at least a few of the scenarios presented
here: Children certainly show their parents a new sense of style, notice things
they do not (the museum’s water cooler rather than the art), and follow their
lead (the two read back to back in the grass), and they do have a way of
improving the mood after a long day of work. But one line spoken by the child
narrator rings concerning: “I…keep your secrets safe.” Pops of orangey-red are
the only spots of color, the rest black or gray against mostly white pages.
Whereas the child in You and Me, Me and
You, concerning fathers, was largely ungendered, the child here wears a
dress and a girl’s bathing suit. Mother and daughter resemble each other, with
red-outlined curly/scribbly hair and pointy noses. Both are paper-white.
Tanco mostly nails it: Life is about
the little things, which add up to time spent together, and what’s more
important than that? (Picture book. 3-6)
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