You Belong to Me

by Mamoru Suzuki

Overview

The simple text of love, caring and protection is accompanied by adorable illustrations of animals and dinosaurs that hug, help, and protect a human child. The comforting text is ideal for a soothing bedtime story. This beautiful book is a perfect gift for parents with a newborn baby.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781940842127
Publisher:	Museyon
Publication date:	08/01/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD260L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Born in 1952, Mamoru Suzuki’s first published work as a picture-book artist was Boku no okina ki (My Big Tree), with a story by Masao Tsurumi in 1980. In 2006, he received the Kodansha Award for Picture Books for Boku no tori no su enikki (My Illustrated Diary of Birds’ Nests).

Editorial Reviews

"Rather than descending into a gooey morass of platitudes, the book begins to feel like an artfully constructed haiku, one that might make some parents choke back a tear or two. Suzuki's thick, soft outlines recall Kevin Henkes'; many spreads appear to eschew black altogether, and all are enticingly smudgy, even the one with a gigantic T. Rex. For young readers, the book is like a bath before bed: soothing, comforting, and warm." —Vicky Smith, Kirkus Reviews


"The concept of the book 'love and care' is something very small kids can understand and relate to, and the absolutely charming and clear illustrations of different animals in muted shades may evoke their curiosity and hold their attention." —Methmini Costa, picksandreadsforkids.com


"I do agree that it would be a great gift to new parents as they will very much identify with all the parental roles taken on by the various animals. A nice addition to a family library." —Carla Johnson-Hicks, carlalovestoread.wordpress.com


"The love language in Mamoru Suzuki’s You Belong to Me is direct and affecting in this way, and even briefly humorous . . . Moving from the loving individual to the protective group, mongooses and porcupines (and even a Tyrannosaurus rex) vow to provide love and care in this peaceful exercise for children up to the age of 3." —Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal


"You Belong to Me is a cuddle to keep on your child’s bookshelf for those times when you want to tell them how much you love them." —Kathy, celebratepicturebooks.com

From the Publisher

07/01/2016
Toddler-PreS—This English translation of a title previously published in Japan attempts to portray a parent's love for a child, but from the start, point of view is problematic. First, several different animals cuddle one at a time with a human child, with accompanying text that reads, "I love you" and "You are my favorite person." Then multiple animals are shown, and the text switches to use the plural "we" ("We'll be there whenever you need us…"), perhaps referencing a family. Then a human adult, presumably the child's mother, says, "I love you most because you belong to me." In the last scene, the child is alone and smiling with a small animal hugging his leg. It's unclear if the animals are supposed to represent different aspects of a parent's or family's love, or if the whole world loves and protects the child. The shifts from singular to plural to the child alone give the story a disjointed feel despite the message of unconditional love. Illustrations appear to be watercolor and pencil, and the large, happy animals cuddling with the toddler are visually appealing. VERDICT Emma Dodd's "Love You Books" series is a better choice for straightforward one-on-one sharing about unconditional love.—Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA

School Library Journal

2016-06-22
Cuddly animals snuggle, hug, and protect a small child in a collection of affectionate poses from Japanese author/illustrator Suzuki. The protagonist has no name, and there's no plot in what at first feels like another unnecessary entry in the "I Love You So Much" genre. Kangaroos and polar bears and gigantic foxes embrace the kid on successive double-page spreads accompanied by what could be a parent's declarations of devotion. "I could spend all day with you." "I'll hug you when you are sad." "We all love you." Is it a family or a village expressing the love in the text opposite a group hug of 17 critters? And what does it mean when, on the last page, the child is so much larger than what appears to be a joey against the text, "I am so happy when we are together"? Suzuki wisely leaves it open to interpretation, and collectively, the pages, with sweet tableaux that could each be a postcard, begin to take on a powerful simplicity. Rather than descending into a gooey morass of platitudes, the book begins to feel like an artfully constructed haiku, one that might make some parents choke back a tear or two. Suzuki's thick, soft outlines recall Kevin Henkes'; many spreads appear to eschew black altogether, and all are enticingly smudgy, even the one with a gigantic T. Rex. For young readers, the book is like a bath before bed: soothing, comforting, and warm. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews