Little Treasures: Endearments from Around the World

Move over, “sunshine.” Ogburn and Raschka give families a whole new vocabulary with which to express their love, exploring terms of endearment used around the globe. Impish, doe-eyed figures rendered in broad, calligraphic brushstrokes wear with pride terms like “ducky,” used in England, and “kullanmuru,” which means “nugget of gold” in Finland. Raschka forgoes painting his characters with black, brown, or white skin, instead using gleeful pinks, blues, teals, and greens. The phrases appear both in English and in their original languages (Cyrillic, Mandarin, and Arabic characters are included), with phonetic pronunciations provided for such terms as “xiao pie dou” (“little mischievous pea” in China) and “yeinay filiklik” (“my bubble of joy” in Ethiopia). The message about familial love being a universal human trait is clearly and joyfully articulated; it’s hard to imagine a sweeter concept. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)