Jesse's Daycare - Hardcover

A gentle, careful, but barely average introduction to home daycare. On her way to work, Jesse's mother drops him off at Sara's house, where he's part of a racially mixed group of four daycare kids. Jesse's activities are compared to his mother's activities throughout the day: Mom at her computer terminal and Jesse at play; Mom taking a coffee break while Jesse snacks on apple slices; mother and son briefly missing each other from their respective locations; a lunchtime phone conversation between the two. Any common thread from the two routines is highlighted, as are the achievements mother and son make independently. Watercolor and marker illustrations are pleasant and ordinary; inserts within larger pictures emphasize the mother-son comparison. Among the many picture books with daycare themes, this one places just below average, lacking any wealth of information, beauty of expression, or extra level of sensitivity to distinguish it. --Liza Bliss, Worcester Public Library, MA
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Each day on her way to work, Jesse's mother brings him to day-care at Sara's house. Valens's straightforward text and Brown's warm illustrations follow both the boy and his mother through a typical day, focusing on how each of them feels as well as on what each does. Both Jesse and his mom are sad when she leaves him at Sara's house, but before long Jesse is engrossed in playing with Sara's toy cars and his mother is busy at her desk. Inset illustrations that show Jesse's mother at the office reinforce the message that there are many parallels between Jesse's and her daily routines. While Jesse snacks on fruit, his mother drinks a cup of tea; when he looks out the window and thinks about how much he misses his mom, she misses him too; while he takes a nap, she wishes she could be napping, too. This realistic look at day-care reassures children that they are never out of their parents' thoughts, not even when they are out of sight. Ages 2-7.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.