All Kinds of Kisses

PreS-K—Swain asks questions about the kinds of kisses that animals might give. Humpback whales, birds, frogs, and even piranhas? These questions are posed but not really answered. Instead, readers are told, for example, that humpbacks have "gigantic mouths to gobble up great gulps of shrimp. And through all the bubbles, mamas give cuddles and big, wet canoodles to calves." The book is charmingly illustrated, but the text is an unsatisfying mix of cloying cuteness, awkward rhymes, and informational bits about the creatures' eating habits. Henry's pencil illustrations are the most successful part of this clunky venture, and librarians looking for simple stories that give adults carte blanche to shower their little ones with affection will want to add this to their collections. Fun facts about the featured animals are appended.