I LOVE YOU FOR YOU is a picture book in verse about how parents and children are not the same person. Each page shows a new family with parent and child experiencing their own unique differences, and showing how those differences don’t matter when it comes to someone you love.
I LOVE YOU FOR YOU is an endearing book with a positive message, and can help teach children that they don’t have to be just like their parents, and at the same time teach parents not to expect their children to be just like them. The rhyming and repetitive structure is easy to follow along and makes it easy to anticipate what will be on the next page, which is perfect for toddlers and infants. It is also a wonderful introduction to opposites (“You like to wake up early / I like to sleep in late”).
Overall the children depicted in the book are older than the children the book is aimed at: the simplicity of and lack of story almost necessitate it be read to toddlers, but most of the children in the book are a little older, able to speak, climb trees, and have developed personalities and preferences. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but it might make it a little harder for the children reading this book to relate to the children featured in it.
Repetition is consistent, which is essential for this sort of book. And, more importantly, the message of the book isn’t warped to fit the rhythm: every line makes sense, and the rhymes very rarely feel forced. The rhythm drops on some pages (“You like to talk every minute of the day / I like to be as concise as I can be”), which can make it awkward to read aloud at times. However, on most of the pages the rhythm flows well and the words come easily. The illustrations are colorful and do a great job depicting the distinct personalities between parent and child.
I LOVE YOU FOR YOU is simple and positive, with a message that can benefit parents just as much as children.
~Jess Costello for IndieReader