Bright Red Kisses — Teresa Toten

A young girl helps Mommy dress up for an evening out.

The air is full of tickles.
I can hear my Mommy humming.
It's a party!
Could be dinner!
Maybe company is coming?

A young girl is excited by her mother's bustling activity, until she realizes Mommy is going out for the evening without her. Still, mommies take a lot of getting ready before they go, and this mommy needs an extra special helper to make those crucial dress-up decisions.

Before long, mother and daughter are caught up in a whirlwind of bubble baths and cold creams, strappy shoes and fancy dresses. Each step of preparation comes with its own smells and sounds and textures and colors, all leading to the most important decision of all: which lipstick to wear? After all, these bright red kisses hold the promise of Mommy's return and she does always come home after a great night out.

Teresa Toten has created a textured tale attired in rhyming text, satiny sounds, and brilliant images. Together with Deirdre Betteridge's richly colored and flowing illustrations, Bright Red Kisses perfectly captures a child's perspective of this grown-up ritual.