I Love You All Day Long ANNOTATION
When a little pig worries about being apart from his mother when he goes off to school, she reassures him.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Do I have to go?" Owen asks.
"Yes," his mother replies.
But his mother sends him off with more than just his lunch. She promises that no matter where he is and no matter what he's doing — whether Owen is making a new friend or spilling his juice — she'll love him all day long, fromthe moment they part until the moment Owen is back in her arms again.
Francesca Rusackas and Priscilla Burris's book is a reassuring tale of how the enduring love of a parent stays with a child whether they are together or apart.
Author Biography:
Francesca Rusackas is a regional advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives in southern California with her husband and their two sons.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
If Mama, Don't Go Out Tonight (reviewed below) explores the fear of Mom leaving the nest, this book gently explores the idea of a child heading out to school for the first time. How will Owen the pig survive a whole day at preschool without his mother? Not to worry, says apple-cheeked Mommy: all Owen has to do is remember that she'll love him "all day long." As his mother imagines him at various points in the day ("I love you when you make a new friend"; "I love you when you march to a clang-clickity-clang" as he bangs the cymbals), Burris (Kate and Nate) presents the series of scenarios with humor and affection. She renders the porcine cast in a glowing shade of peach-a warmhearted visual foil for the bright, bold colors of Owen's preschool world. Many of the author's scenarios focus on mishaps ("I love you when you accidentally make a mess or when you can't wait for the bathroom"), but overall, the volume sends a reassuring message that parents love their children even while they are apart. As for the young hero, his pudgy physique and extensive repertoire of expressions makes him a credible stand-in for any human youngster with start-of-school anxieties. Ages 3-5. (Dec.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Children's Literature - Sharon Salluzzo
Owen asks a question familiar to many children before their first day of school, and sometimes for a number of days thereafter: "Do I have to go today, Mommy?" His mother responds in a most reassuring way by telling him he has to go and reminds him, "I love you when I'm with you and I love you when we're apart." She goes through various scenarios of his day's activities commenting on both the positive and negative, "I love you when you make a new friend" and "I love you when you can't wait for a bathroom." In clear simple pictures Owen is seen going through the activities. On the last page Owen is cuddling with his mother while she reads him a bedtime story. This warm and reassuring story handles separation anxiety very well. In addition, there is a classroom full of cute little piggies! 2005 (orig. 2003), HarperCollins, Ages 2 to 5.
School Library Journal
PreS-K-When a little pig worries about heading off to school for the day, his mother reassures him that her love for him goes everywhere he goes. "I love you all day long," she says. "I love you when you make a new friend.- or when you make a mistake." She conjures up all the triumphs and trials of the day, and the pictures, placed on ample white space, show the piglet burping at lunch, tripping over his shoelaces, singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" all by himself, and feeding the fish. And at the end of the day, she says, "I love you when you fly into my arms and when you hug me as tightly as you can. I love you all day long!" The bright, expressive illustrations and the spare text work well to bring the reassuring message home.-Shelley B. Sutherland, Niles Public Library District, IL Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
When a little pig worries what will happen when heﾽs away at school, his mother makes him feel better in this reassuring picture-book debut. "You should always remember this," says mother pig, "I love you when Iﾽm with you and I love you when weﾽre apart." " ﾽThat means you love me all day long!ﾽ " the child responds. Burrisﾽs illustrations are cheerful and bright; saturated colors outlined in black make the images look animated as the child goes about his day at school from morning arrival ("I love you when you make a new friend"), to lunch ("I love you when you let a burp sneak out") and recess ("I love you when you wait for your turn [on the swings]"). Even the rough spots—tripping on shoelaces, spilling juice, or getting stuck on the top of the slide—are smoothed over by motherﾽs love. At dayﾽs end, mother and son share a bedtime story. Youngsters new to school will see themselves in little pigﾽs experiences and be buoyed by his triumphs—no matter what, little pig keeps on trucking. Likewise, parents and caregivers will find this useful in its treatment of separation anxiety. (Picture book. 3-5)
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