In the same vein as Eileen Spinelli's When Mama Comes Homes Tonight
(see p. 106), Chesnut's first book sends a heartfelt message of love to children who spend their days separated from their parents. "Tell me again how much you miss me when we're apart," asks an apple-cheeked, blond toddler (denim overalls and short curly hair obscure the toddler's gender). "I miss you more than you can know," replies a father, "and I think of you every minute of every hour." The father recounts the rituals of the day, from morning ("I miss you... when you are counting your bare toes, one to ten") to bedtime ("When you are sleeping, I will watch over you"). Framed in white, Chesnut's illustrations (described on the dust jacket as a "combination of watercolor paintings and Polaroid transfers") are set against muted peach-and-olive plaid, creating a scrapbook-like aura of nostalgia. The subjects are traditional: the child poses with outsize teddy bears, sits in a sandbox with pail and shovel, thumbs through books in his or her pajamas. The final pages show mother, father and child together and promise a reunion. Sentimental and reassuring. Ages 2-5. (Apr.)
