“My baby, it’s time that you know something true: / There’s someone who loves you much more than I do!” So begins this address from mother to child, delivered in well-composed couplets. What follows, across a series of bright and joyous, two-page-spread digital illustrations from Salem-Vargas, is a repeated emphasis on just how much love a mother feels (“My love for you grows with each day that goes by. / I love you beyond all the stars in the sky”) interspersed with the comforting primacy of the divine: “My sweet baby, know this: it’s you I adore. / It’s true, my love’s vast, / But still God loves you more.” Each couplet comes with one or more numerical scripture references that point the reader toward passages expressing similar sentiments. The girl and mother are depicted as white-skinned and brown-haired. A blonde/grey-haired father and dark-haired baby brother are also shown, while a more racially diverse, wider culture is hinted at with the depiction of a school nativity play. God is represented by Jesus, rendered in accord with his popular Western conception as a long-haired, bearded white man with sandals, tunic, and vest. Those for whom the faith message resonates should very much approve.
