I Love You More Than...

In this affirmation of paternal love by the creators of Mixed Me!, an African-American man addresses his child, lamenting that though “I am not always with you as much as I’d like... You are always running around in my mind and chilling inside my heart.” Pictured more often apart than together—it appears that travel often separates them—the two participate, on facing pages, in analogous activities as the narrator lovingly reminds his child that he’s seen and adored: “I love you more than I love the beach… I love the footprints your little feet make when I’m chasing you through the sand.” Matching the fluidity of Diggs’s free-association narrative, Evans’s stylized mixed-media art features a fluctuating palette, sinuous movement, and imaginatively loose lines that depict favorite shared experiences such as dancing, movie-going, and tucking into a tall pile of pancakes. A father-child reunion caps this story that imparts a reassuring message: whether or not his parents are physically present, this child is deeply loved. Ages 4–8. [em]Author’s agent: Tina Wexler, ICM. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Sept.) [/em]