Dear Baby, I'm Watching Over You

In a series of paired images, parents in the armed forces assure their stateside children that the power of their love triumphs distance and time. In one spread, a serviceman on an aircraft carrier stops to tighten his laces, while his young son does the same in a field back home. "Do you know each time I tie a shoe," says the father, "I send good thoughts to you?" Casey's workmanlike rhymes are unwavering in their patriotism ("Making the world a safer place/ is my way of watching over you"), but also make clear the sacrifice inherent in service ("There's so much about you I've had to miss"). Children will probably find the greatest emotional satisfaction in Braught's heroic portraits of strong, capable adults fulfilling their duty as both soldiers and parents. The scenes also subtly suggest ways children can keep distant parents "close"—as when a toddler eats lunch beside a photograph of his mother. An image of a soldier beside a tank kissing the envelope that contains his daughter's letter is worth the price of the entire book. Ages 2–8. (Oct.)