Always

Children everywhere will be comforted by this universal tale, in which a young boy is assured that his mother loves him — no matter what he does.

"Do you love me when I finger-paint with toothpaste on the bathroom mirror?"

As he goes through a day, a child asks his mother for reassurance with a series of questions. Does she love him when he's gentle? Does she love him when he's not? Does she love him when he jumps in puddles wearing his new sneakers? Simple, charming, and disarming, Ann Stott's story will resonate with little listeners and adults alike. Matt Phelan's funny, poignant drawings capture the child's behavior, both good and bad, and the mother's unconditional love."Child readers will recognize their own behaviors and anxieties, and will be reassured by the mother’s steadfast testimony of unconditional affection. Phelan’s watercolors adeptly convey the gleeful mischief that is part and parcel of childhood. His deft sketches are an amusing extension of the tale and well worth second and third glances—as the child wonders whether his mother will love him if he doesn’t eat his peas, readers see just his scowling eyes at table-level, little green vegetables strewn all over, including his hair." —Kirkus ReviewsAnn Stott is a children's book designer. She says that this book, her first, was inspired by questions her own son has asked her. She lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Matt Phelan has worked in the film industry and illustrated a number of books for children, including the Newbery Medal winner The Higher Power of Lucky, The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs, and The New Girl . . . and Me. He lives in Philadelphia.