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The first in a series of children's titles by radio talk-show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Why Do You Love Me? (written with Martha Lambert) is a warm and fuzzy 32-page picture book about unconditional love. Unlike the treasured, bunny-centered Guess How Much I Love You, Schlessinger's text--aimed at a similar, if slightly older, age group--is intended to be reality-based. You won't find any fanta... More

The first in a series of children's titles by radio talk-show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Why Do You Love Me? (written with Martha Lambert) is a warm and fuzzy 32-page picture book about unconditional love. Unlike the treasured, bunny-centered Guess How Much I Love You, Schlessinger's text--aimed at a similar, if slightly older, age group--is intended to be reality-based. You won't find any fantastical elements here, just a straight conversation between mother and son about the enduring love the mother feels for her child. Unfortunately, the story's low-key "slice of life" approach isn't reflected in Daniel McFeeley's exaggerated, cartoonish line drawings--a stylistic merging of R. Crumb and Jim "Garfield" Davis.

Schlessinger delivers an important message beneath the Sunday-comics-style presentation: A mother's love is forever and always, no matter how her child behaves. Sammy thinks he might be loved because he's good at sports or is helpful around the house. No, Mother explains, it's because "he's the one and only Sammy there will ever be in the whole world--and you're mine. And that's enough for me to love you all the time." Then Sammy asks if there is ever a time when she doesn't love him, and he offers suggestions of recent bad behavior. "I did not love the yelling, or the hitting, or cleaning off the crayon marks," says Mother. "But I still loved you." Further, she says, "the love in my heart is like the sun in the sky. It is always there, even when you can't see it."

The mother here is never shown to be distracted, overwhelmed, snappy, or sad. And parents may bristle that there's no real discussion of the existence or whereabouts of a parent's love when working, absent, sick, or tired. (Dr. Laura would ask now, "Who cares? It's your kids we're thinking about here.") But this story is meant purely to comfort the young child who fears that their parents' love comes and goes at whim. At that, it fully succeeds. (Ages 3 and older) --Jean Lenihan

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