FICTION

You Are Two

by Sara O'LEARY
illus. by Karen Klassen. 24p. Owlkids. Sept. 2016. Tr $14.95. ISBN 9781771470735.
COPY ISBN
Toddler-PreS—Celebrating the joys and milestones that occur during a child's second year, this picture book is elegant in its simplicity. "First you could walk and now you can run. In the blink of an eye, you are up and down the stairs." Mixed-media collage illustrations offer a vintage feel to the story. One page depicts a blond, tawny-cheeked cherub of a toddler holding a black rotary phone to his ear. Klassen's characters range from Asian to white to African American. The concise text shows toddlers exploring and growing as they learn and have new experiences. "You know so many things now that you are two. What you know best is your own mind." O'Leary wraps the narrative up with the proclamation of never-ending love between parent and child.
VERDICT Consider purchasing for medium to larger collections looking for picture books about toddlers doing what they do best: growing with a smile.
Reviewed by Lisa Kropp, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY
In this logical follow-up to You Are One, second-person narration acknowledges two-year-olds' newfound independence and intellectual milestones (e.g., "Now that you are two, you are learning about yesterday, today, and tomorrow"). O'Leary once again steers clear of treacle with her tribute, and Klassen's collage-style art, featuring photographic and fabric motifs, reinforces her toddler subjects' constant motion.
 , Sep 01, 2016

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