This book is about a barn yard full of animals and a farmer and his daughter taking care of them. There is a lot of adventure with the animals even a skunk comes in to join the fun.

Poetically expressive text is paired with gorgeous artwork in If I Was the Sunshine, the new picture-book from author Julie Fogliano and illustrator Loren Long. A series of conditional relationships is described in the narrative - "if i was a flower / and you were a nose / i'd call you sniff / and you'd call me rose" - while the acrylic illustrations depict a variety of creatures in the natural world...

Having greatly enjoyed Julie Fogliano's poetic text in such titles as When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons and A House That Once Was, and always an admirer of Loren Long's gorgeous illustrations, I went into If I Was the Sunshine with high expectations. Unfortunately, I wasn't as impressed as I'd expected to be. I'm not really sure why Fogliano chose to use the subjunctive only some of the time - perhaps she felt that the contrast between "was" and "were" was poetically necessary, or somehow helpful in distinguishing between the two things she was comparing, in each verse - but although I definitely noticed the incorrect grammar (it's hard not to, when it's in the title), that wasn't the real problem for me. The text itself just didn't make sense - was it about the relationship between all things? between animals? between mother and child? - and I felt mostly frustrated with that lack of clarity. The artwork was, as expected, gorgeous (and thus my three star rating), but not enough to save this one. ( )

This children's picture book is beautifully illustrated with soft acrylic colors and light. The pages are warm with sunlight, animals and nature. The audience is lyrically guided through nature's seasons through the authors' poetic cadence, wordplay and metaphor in each verse. This is a really sweet story about love, change, perspectives, and relationships. ( )

Lush, saturated, acrylic paint illustrations accompany the poetic text.

"if you were a firefly
and i was the dark
you'd call me everywhere
and i'd call you spark"

See also: You Are My I Love You by Maryann Cusimano ( )

This one is the best picture book I've read so far this year, and my kids agree.

Written in verse and reading like a gentle song, the pages not only pull in but make one stop and sigh. It's lovely...from beginning to end. Simple and heart-warming moments are taken from nature and added with clever wording to demonstrate a cute and caring atmosphere. Taken by themselves, the verses can seem a little odd at time, but that's where the amazing illustrations come in. The picture make the point hit home and sink in.

This is a wonderful read for quiet moments, cuddle in a guardians arms or read to groups. Each two page spread carries a little wonder, a dust of humor, amazement and so much love. It's an addicting mixture.

This is one book which will be kept on our shelves and treasured for many years to come.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed every moment...as did my children. ( )