Review - If I Was the Sunshine

If I Was the Sunshine
by Julie Fogliano
illustrated by Loren Long
Date: 2019
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 48
Format: e-book
Source: library

A breathtaking picture book about the relationships we share from New York Times bestselling storytellers Julie Fogliano and Loren Long in the tradition of The Runaway Bunny and Guess How Much I Love You.

if i was the sunshine
and you were the day
i’d call you hello!
and you’d call me stay

if you were the winter
and i was the spring
i’d call you whisper
and you’d call me sing…

Through clever, thought-provoking verse and warmly evocative art, New York Times bestsellers Julie Fogliano and Loren Long explore the awe-inspiring nature of relationships, love, and connection.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Grammarphiles are going to have a tough time with this book. (If the title bothers you, the rest of the book will, too.)

Aside from the avoidance of the subjunctive mood half of the time and the insistence on writing all the letters in lowercase, this is actually a fairly nice rhyming storybook. The verses are clever and make you think. The pictures are appealing and pleasant to look at. And the meter is actually fairly solid, which is always nice to see in a rhyming picture book.

Most kids aren't going to notice the verbs, of course. But their parents might. If it's that bothersome, an adult reader could always change those few words as they're reading aloud to make it more grammatically correct. (I suspect the author did it the way she did because she didn't want too much repetition of certain words. However, it's going to grate on some people's nerves. Just be aware of this.)

Otherwise, it's a lovely picture book.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 5/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5