Soundar, Chitra. You’re Safe with Me. Poonam Mistry, Illus. Picture Book. Lantana, 2018. [36]pp. $17.99. 978-1-911373-29-2. OUTSTANDING. GRADES PRE-K.
Intricate and beautiful illustrations seamlessly blend with the heartwarming text in a bedtime story where frightened baby animals in an Indian forest find comfort in the words and hugs of wise Mama Elephant: she explains the stormy behavior of the weather, including dark skies, the moaning wind, thunder, lightning, and the rushing river in calming ways. The noisy thunder is explained as a cloud “groaning from the weight of the rain, [and] soon she will turn as fluffy as cotton flowers.” The illustrations, which appear to be acrylic, reflect a color palette of rich teals, russet reds, and cream. The designs are stylized and swirling, delicately enhanced with tiny dots as is typical in some Indian art. This could be used in storytimes about bedtime or about overcoming one’s fears.
Kathy L. Haug, LibraryKat’s Practiced Eye Proofreading Service