Picture Book Review: I Love You More

I Love You More
Written by Laura Duksta
Illustrated by Karen Keesler

A flip-sided book...like love, it never ends.

I recently received a review copy of this children's picture book. It isn't a story, but rather a conversation between a mother and her son. The question initially posed by the little boy is, "Mommy, just how much do you love me?" His mother replies in rhyme, "I love you higher than the highest bird ever flew. I love you taller than the tallest tree ever grew." She continues with many other sweet comparisons of love.

Yes, there are books similar to this one. However, this story breaks in the middle of the book and you must then turn the book over and continue reading from the other side. The conversation then continues as the mother turns to her son and asks him, "So, just how much do you love me?" And the boy begins, "I love you quieter than the quietest caterpillar ever creeped. I love you further than the furthest frog ever leaped."

The reason I enjoyed this aspect of it so much is because you get to see the difference in comparisons that they make. While the mother compares her feelings of love to ethereal things such as the wind and stars, the boy's comparisons are ones of more tangible, childhood wonders such as lollipops and kites. When the mother asks her son how much he loves her, it creates a wonderful opportunity for him to use his imagination and think creatively. This also adds a richer element to the story, as the loving feelings aren't just one-sided.

There are some picture books where the love is so heartfelt that it brings tears to my eyes, my voice cracks a little as I read aloud, and my children turn from the book to look at me and ask if I'm going to cry. This is one of those books.

Behind this book's creation is the author's personal journey. At the age of 11, Laura Duksta lost all of her hair to Alopecia Areata. For almost 20 years, she wore a wig to hide her baldness. On her 30th birthday, she "came out" as The Bald Chick, finally able to love herself enough fully, and allow others to love her as well. She has channeled this powerful love into her book, where she can now share her message of love with the world. You can learn more about Laura on her website.

After reading the book to my kids, I shared the author's personal story with them. They were very inspired by her and proud of her. They told me how they had wished she hadn't felt the need to hide for so long. I think everyone who reads this book with their children has been given an additional gift... a wonderful opportunity to talk about Laura's powerful message, and importance of self-love and personal worth.

Illustrator Karen Keesler earned the nickname "Hippie" from her love of people and the planet. She enjoys nature, surfing, gardening, yoga and meditation. She's also a vegetarian...as am I, so I happily relate to her compassion for all creatures. She is a professional photographer and illustrator, capturing her love for the world with her art.

This heartwarming picture book presented by "Hippie and The Bald Chick" is one of deep simplicity and highly recommended!

Debuting the week of November 5, 2007, I Love You More is now available in hardcover. You can find it in bookstores and Amazon.com.

Published by Jabberwocky (an imprint of Sourcebooks)