PreS-Gr. 2. The creators of the wildly popular Mama, Do You Love Me 1991), featuring an Inuit mother and daughter, focus on another indigenous culture to tell a simple tale of parental love. This time, the characters are a Masai father and son. While herding cattle, a boy tests his father's affection with a question game that fans of Mama will recognize: "Papa, do you love me? . . . How much? . . . How long?" Each time, Papa answers with reassuring words that reference Masai life: "I love you more than the warrior loves to leap." Lavallee's delicately shaded watercolors in brilliant reds and sunlit golds extend the story' warm sentiments, and children will enjoy spotting the many animals in the pictures. An annotated glossary offers more information about the Masai's traditional culture. Few picture books star African fathers and sons, and this one, like Mama, will probably draw a large, devoted following for its strong message of unconditional love. For more books about fathers and sons, see the Read-alikes, "A Day with Dad," in the June 2005 issue. Gillian Engberg
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