Grannie herself is "soft and warm and full,/ full of hugs and kisses./ Kiss, kiss./ Hugs and cuddles." When Grannie distracts an increasingly hungry Jay Jay with a visit to her fish tank, he notices that it, too, is "full,/ full of all kinds of fishes./ Splash, splish./ Wiggle, wiggle." Howard's ( The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark) artwork throughout the book has an expansive, unbuttoned feel, but the spread for this latter vignette is particularly striking: he contrasts the grandmother and grandson's warm, coffee-toned skin and soft, chocolate eyes with the tropically-hued array swimming in front of them. As Jay Jay helps his grandmother prepare for the extended family's Sunday dinner, he finds a comforting, often palpable abundance everywhere he looks. Cooke's ( So Much) rhythmic prose hits a magical note between chant and lullaby, and her tale conveys a bone-deep understanding of how children cherish familial ties.
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