Valentine's Day
Since Roman times Valentine's Day has been celebrated in different forms all over the world, and while the story of the "real" Saint Valentine is mysterious, the holiday has remained popular for thousands of years. In 498 A.D. Pope Gelasius declared February 14th to be St. Valentine's Day. Celebrations back then definitely differed from how we celebrate today. It was in Great Britain, around the 17th century, that the holiday began to reflect how we view it todayfriends and loved ones exchanged small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. Today, over one billion valentines are sent each year!
For information and activities about Valentine's Day visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentines_day
http://www.history.com/content/valentine
http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/vday.html
Contributor: Emily Griffin
Reviews
Count My Kisses, Little One
Ruthie May
Illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie
Colorful hearts stand for kisses and match the number featured on the double spreads dedicated to each number from one to ten. A charming, little girl wearing red and white knee-socks spends the day playing with her stuffed-animal friends. While there are some rhymes and repeated rhythms, this is not a poetry book. The numbers are clearly displayed (in frames of various shapes, such as ovals, circles, and rectangles) and the number of hearts matches the numerals but other numbers of items appear randomly on each page. Once could wish that the "little one" counting sheep on the number nine page could have been counting nine sheep; but the device here is the counting of hearts--which do represent the actual number being presented. The whimsical illustrations are displayed on clean backgrounds, leaving enough white space for young eyes to focus on the actions of each page. Adults sharing this board book with little ones will want to employ all of the action verbs depicted: tickling, giggling, splashing, singing, etc. The author's words are echoed in the illustrations but there are also plenty of opportunities for discussion as to what each of the animals are doing. The white rabbit seems to love to dance and the teddy bear is a willing partner. The little one of the story is a spot-eyed puppy who is tucked into bed on the very last page—an idea that would make this a good selection for bedtime reading. Of course, it would make a sweet little Valentine's Day gift. 2010, Cartwheel Books/Scholastic, Ages 1 to 3, $8.99. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-545-25281-2
Happy Valentine's Day
Adapted by Gabrielle Reyes
When Dragon receives Valentine's Day cards from his friends, he decides he wants to do something special for them. He bakes some cookies. They smell so good, he cannot resist tasting just a little crumb. One crumb leads to two, and before you know it, Dragon has given into temptation and, little by little, eaten all the cookies. Now he must think of another special treat for his friends. They are delighted with the heart-shaped design he makes for them with rocks and flowers. This level 1 book in the "dragon reader" series is illustrated with claymation stills from the television episode written by Greg Dummett and Aline Gilmore. While the storyline is not new, and other books such as those featuring Frog and Toad are better, the short sentences, sight words and the familiar TV program may entice some children to read. 2010, Scholastic, Ages 4 to 7, $4.99. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-545-20055-4
Happy Valentine's Day, Curious George
N. Di Angelo
Illustrations by Mary O'Keefe Young
Who does not know that lovably mischievous monkey, George? The Man with the Yellow Hat is having a Valentine's Day party for all the neighborhood children. As usual, George is curious. He is determined to help decorate the house even if it means popping a few balloons, juggling the tubes of frosting, and making a special card for the Man. For George the big box filled with all the creative makings for cards becomes a distraction as he imagines all the things it can be. At the party's end when the kids all search for the missing monkey, he pops out of the box to a loud Happy Valentine's Day cheer from his friends. The story is very simple and straightforward and does lack the more developed story line of the original works by Rey. But for young fans of the little monkey, his affable antics and insatiable curiosity will ring true. Little fingers will happily lift the flaps to reveal the mischief and mayhem. The fold-out flaps may not hold up with heavy library use. 2010, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Ages 3 to 5, $8.99. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-547-13107-8
Love Is You & Me
Monica Sheehan
The tone is set on the title page where the reader sees a cartoon mouse and dog dancing onto the "stage" of the book, sporting top hats and canes—the minimalistic sketches revealing their delight in entertaining each other as well as the reader. "Love will catch you…when you fall." is the text on one of the double spreads in this paean to love shared. The illustration on that page shows the little mouse character upside-down heading into a heart-shaped trampoline which is being held by two paws—the paws belong to the cartoon dog, the humor as reassuring as the idea that the loving partner will always be there. Sheehan has obviously avoided giving the reader any hint as to the relationship of the two cartoon creatures…could be two friends, could be parent and child, could be just an example of unconditional love between two creatures (even humans!?!). They are sublimely happy sharing a pink frothy drink on the page that says the "Love is sweet." Mouse is perched on the napkin holder for height to reach the second straw. The fun aspect of love is seen as they share a wild roller coaster ride, shrieking joyously together. They are seldom apart but when they are they are careful to stay in touch and the reader sees their telephone "connection." The support they offer each other in times of trouble is a great bond between them. A heart-shaped star constellation is visible on the page that says "Love is the place…where you always belong." Summing up the book with "because Love is you & me" brings the book back to its title, having shared many aspects of what it means to truly share a loving relationship. A perfect gift book for Valentine's Day or any day someone needs to know that love exists. Also a good addition to any library. 2010, Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, Ages All, $7.99. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0765-7
No Valentines for Katie
Fran Manushkin
Illustrated by Tammie Lyon
At Katie's school, Valentine's Day is filled with fun when the class does math and reading that centers on a heart theme. Excitement increases when the teacher assigns students the job to write their names on a slip of paper and deposit it in a pretty Valentine box. Each child selects a name from the box, creates a Valentine for that child, and writes something nice about the classmate. Katie chooses the name of the new boy Barry and paints him a Valentine. But after all of the Valentines are done and read, Katie discovers that she did not get a card and her feelings are hurt. Then she realizes she did not put her name in the box. The teacher asks for a volunteer to write something nice about Katie on the board and Barry volunteers. Barry thinks that he did not get a card either until Katie jumps up and gives him the one she made for him. Much to their delight, Katie and Barry discover that they both said the same nice thing about each other. The day ends well when Barry is invited to walk home with Katie and her friends. This book works well for guided reading and emerging and early readers. It contains three short chapters with short sentences and big print. Readers can identify with the simple problem and solution. A bonus that includes a glossary, discussion questions, a writing project, and a fun recipe for heart breadsticks is at the back of the book. The book comes from the "Katie Woo" series that contains delightful stories for holidays. Other books in the series feature Thanksgiving, Halloween, and the Fourth of July. 2011, Picture Window Books, $19.99. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Nancy Garhan Attebury (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781404859869
ISBN: 9781404863651
Mad Love
Suzanne Selfors
Everyone knows life for a typical sixteen-year old is carefree and exciting. But for Alice Amorous, daughter of the best-selling Queen of Romance, life is far from typical. Ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness, Alice has been living a lie. Instead of spending time with her new boyfriend, Alice spends her summer answering her mother's fan letters and trying to convince the publisher that all is well. But Alice is running out of time and money. Her mother's next book is overdue and so are the medical bills. Alice decides she must write the book herself, though she knows very little of romance. Then she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid and who insists he can help with her problem. He agrees to tell Alice the true story of his tragic relationship with Psyche if she will agree to write about it. Finally, the world will know the truth. Alice doesn't believe in Cupid, but when she begins to see and hear things she can't explain she must decide if what he has told her is true or if she has inherited her mother's madness. Finally, convinced that Errol is the god of love, Alice discovers that he is dying and she must hurry if she wants to help her new friend and also save her mother's career. This book has humor and romance, but also deals with the weightier issues of mental illness and single parenting. There are several instances where sexual encounters are implied making this suitable to an older audience. 2011, Walker Books for Young Readers, Ages 12 up, $16.99. Reviewer: Heather Kinard (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-8027-8450-6
My Valentine
Brandy Cooke
Illustrated by Annie Wilkinson
Tiny hands will easily manipulate this heart-shaped board book about a young fox's efforts to choose a recipient for his Valentine's gift. Clutching a heart-shaped box decorated with flowers, the sweetly depicted fox describes his Valentine using such words as: sweet, huggable, kind, loveable, soft, snuggly, cute, and cuddly. As each of these concepts is mentioned, the reader sees a creature embodying that particular charm: bee, bear, turtle, raccoon, bunny, kitten, and caterpillar. After enumerating the traits of a suitable recipient for his present, the little fox discovers that all of his friends are perfect to share the bounty of his gift box (which contains lots of luscious berries.) "These are treats for everyone!" Adults sharing this adorable Valentine's book with a little one will have plenty of things to discuss. Why are bees considered "sweet?" Are bears "huggable?" The illustrations are adorable and have things to count and colors to name for added value. The sturdy construction and flexible spine construction (which allows each page to rise up when the preceding one is turned) will make this a welcomed gift or a staple in the holiday collection. A web site is given for information about the author and for activities. 2010, Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, Ages 3 mo to 3, $4.99. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0779-4
Peek-A-Love
Salina Yoon
Obviously intended as a gift, the opening page of this board book has a "to" and "from" waiting to be filled-in by the giver of this sturdy look at love. Utilizing die-cut hearts to reveal a portion of a picture concealed by a large flap, each double spread shows an animal (on the left) and the thing(s) he/she loves (hidden by the flap) on the right. Little ones will love folding down the brightly colored flap pages to discover (and name) the beloved item (s). The illustrations are basic, simple constructions of shapes and colors in a stylized but easily recognizable presentation. Beginning with "BEE LOVES (fold down flap) FLOWERS!" the reader will learn that butterfly loves the sunshine, fish loves bubbles, and bear loves honey. The last page is reserved for "MAMA LOVES (folding down the large flap reveals a baby hidden by a bib; folding down the bib shows a baby's face) YOU!" One can imagine an adult pasting a picture of a loved baby in this spot to make this a "personalized" book. Bright colors for naming, opportunities for counting, and the element of discovery makes this a perfect book for adults to share with babies and toddlers. Perfect for Valentine's Day or just talking about love. The back of the book includes a web site for activities and information about the author. 2010, Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, Ages 10 mo to 2, $6.99. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0655-1
Ruby Valentine Saves the Day
Laurie B. Friedman
Illustrated by Lynne Avril
Ruby Valentine lives in her new little house, complete with heart-shaped windows, above the town of Heartland. She loves Valentine's Day so much that she and her white bird named Lovebird decide to plan the perfect Valentine's party. She designs lovely invitations and mails them to all her friends in town. Then she sets out to get ready for her party. She sews and hangs new pink curtains, cleans her house, decorates all the rooms, bakes tasty treats, and spiffs up her yard. However, while she and Lovebird sleep the night before the party, bad weather comes rolling along. A monstrous snowstorm covers the hillside with white, and no one from town can make it up the hill to the party. Ruby is in despair until Lovebird comes up with a solution. He decides that they should take the party to the town! They pack the box on their sled with party goodies and barrel down the hill. In Heartland, Ruby beckons all the people to the town square for the party. However, another problem soon becomes evident: all the treats were scattered on the hill during the wild ride down! Ruby is disappointed, but the townspeople point out that they can do things together. They make a snowman, roast marshmallows, and sing songs. Ruby learns that fun can still be had even when things don't go as planned. Fresh, clever illustrations are pleasantly dressed up with splashes of pink. They add to this rhyming tale to make the entire package a must-read for children who love to celebrate with good friends. 2010, Carolrhoda Books, $16.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Nancy Garhan Attebury (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780761342137
A String of Hearts
Laura Malone Elliott
Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Sam, an anthropomorphic bear, is told by his teacher that he must make a valentine for everyone in his class for the Valentine's Day party the next day. And he must write something nice for each. Writing for Tiffany, the popular cat, would be easy. But how can he impress her? Mary Ann, a squirrel, offers to help him. Together they make many appropriate cards. Finally, Sam does his best for Tiffany. But the next day she just drops his card from among all the others she receives. He is depressed until he opens a valentine in his pocket. It is from Mary Ann, a string of hearts with a rhyming line, telling him why she likes him. He then remembers all the things he likes about her. He makes her a special valentine. A promising friendship is obviously ahead. While the visual story is told primarily in watercolors on full-pages and in vignettes that accentuate actions, Munsinger doesn't neglect the emotional content. Facial expressions, particularly Mary Ann's, reflect her deeper feelings. Note her on the jacket/cover as Sam approaches the smug Tiffany, surrounded by hearts. Munsinger adds humor in her naturalistic creation of the other animals that share in the drama as well. And there is also a Valentine's Day lesson here for discusiion. A page on Valentine's Day and its history is included. 2010, Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 4 to 7, $16.99. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-06-000085-1
ISBN: 978-0-06-000086-8
Sweet Treats, Secret Crushes
Lisa Greenwald
When a blizzard closes school on Valentine's Day, best friends Olivia, Kate, and Georgia are determined to make the best of their day. Together they make fortune cookies and distribute the cookies to their neighbors in the apartment building. As the girls meet new neighbors and discuss all their problems, they begin to look at their own relationships with one another. Observant Olivia has a long-time crush on a boy, called PBJ, who has never spoken to her. Outgoing Kate longs to be part of the in-crowd and desperately wants to spend time with Brendan. Shy Georgia has a secret crush on a family friend, Kevin. Olivia worries that she is losing her friends when Kate suddenly tears a page from Olivia's precious observation journal. Kate wants desperately to find Brendan which makes both Georgia and Olivia think Kate no longer wants to be their friend. Georgia is distraught when she learns that Olivia found a paper on which Georgia wrote about her crush on Kevin, the family friend. As the day continues and the girls spread Valentine cheer with their cookies, all three learn each others' secrets and fears. At the end of the day, each girl, in her own way, recognizes the fortune of true friendship. Told in alternating first-person point of view, the author creates a fast-paced, angst-filled, middle grade novel within which a reader may see a glimpse of herself. 2010, Amulet Books, $16.95. Ages 10 to 14. Reviewer: Jody Little (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780810989900
Thief of Hearts
Susan Meddaugh
Adapted by Karen Barrs
Valentine's Day is approaching and Carolina, Helen, and T.D. are excited about making their valentines. Skits the dog is not. He just wants to play in the snow. After comforting their friend Truman who says he can't do crafts, the children return to their artwork only to find it missing. The friends search throughout the house, and begin to argue with one another about who hid the items. Martha the dog comes to the rescue, leading the friends to their supplies. When they identify the culprit, all go outside to play in the snow. This simple holiday mystery in the "Martha Speaks" series is just right for the beginning-to-read crowd. It is a Level 1 book in the "Green Light Readers" series. There are six detachable valentine cards for the reader to color for friends. The inside back cover has a hidden word puzzle and fill-in-the-blank sentences for beginning readers to reinforce their skills. This inexpensive item would make a fine little Valentine's Day gift for "Martha Speaks" fans. 2011, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $3.99. Ages 4 to 7. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780547371627
Tucker's Valentine
Leslie McGuirk
Sporting shiny, red foil hearts, the cover depicts a Dalmatian cupid and a small white dog. Tucker's owner tells him that Valentine's Day is "all about love." Tucker (the white dog wears a blue collar and might be a West Highland Terrier) knows what he loves: dog food, Frisbees, naps, chasing bubbles, and his "stuffed piggy." Cupid (this puppy wears red shorts and has blue wings) also shows up on Valentine's Day, armed with arrows that will "make you fall in love." The simplistic cartoon drawings have bits of humor sprinkled throughout. We see a cardinal exclaim "Oh, Boy!" when the spotted, be-winged Cupid focuses on Tucker. Cupid's aim is off and he continually misses Tucker, even while he is playing with his neighbor, Cupcake. The squirrels laugh from their tree as Cupid misses Tucker yet again. Cupid is determined but Tucker escapes his every effort. Then Tucker's owner calls and he darts home to the arms of his real, true love—his girl. She gives him a special dog treat to celebrate their loving relationship. Cupid will just have to try something else next year. This board book will provide readers with a vehicle to discuss Valentine's Day with youngsters. Choose this one as a gift purchase or to add to the body of the Valentine's Day collection. 2010, Candlewick Press, Ages 18 mo. to 3, $6.99. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4357-7
Valentine's Day
Dorothy Goeller
A young girl is making a Valentine's Day card for her mother. The question that is posed and repeated through the book is "How many hearts?" The response is "Too many!" with an illustration or photograph of several hearts. There is not a strong storyline or plot. Young readers may need to infer why the question is asked in the story and how it leads to the conclusion. The book is leveled as guided reading level B. In the layout, the picture is on the left and the line(s) of text is on the right. Emergent readers will find one or two lines of text with clear print on the page. The text pattern is the repetition of the question and response. There is a table of contents for the features of the text such as other stories to read, some websites to visit, and an index to locate the words used in the story; some beginning readers may find the table of contents to be overwhelming. Although the series is called "All about Holidays," there is very little information in the story about Valentine's Day. 2011, Bailey Books/Enslow Publishers, $21.26. Ages 4 to 6. Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781598451795
Valentine's Day
Trudi Strain Trueit
Frosted cookie hearts, colorful paper hearts, heart-shaped sunglasses, and good-for-licking heart suckers are a few of the hearts young readers discover in this book from the "Holiday Fun" series. Part of the fun of the series is the use of rebuses in every book. In this title, hearts are all over the place from front cover to back. The opening two pages prep readers with rebus pictures for words like balloons, chocolate, cupcakes, lollipops, and cards. In the text, the rebus/word matches are part of every sentence thereby aiding early readers who want to become independent readers. For example, "Do you love to get (picture of several red hearts) on Valentine's Day?" completes the text for the first text page. The large print, short text and zippy, bright photographs of children who have all kinds of hearts add to the ease of comprehension. Especially cute is the photo of a young boy holding a heart-shaped box, presumably filled with candy, behind his back as a young girl peeks around to see what he has. All the children in the pictures are having fun and smiling. In a simple glossary, love and Valentine's Day are defined and a pronunciation key shows how to say them. A "Find out More" page contains three books about Valentine's Day and two websites that tell where more information can be found. This book makes an ideal supplement to holiday units, and to history, or social studies lessons. 2011, Marshall Cavendish, $22.79. Ages 5 to 7. Reviewer: Nancy Garhan Attebury (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780761448891
Whatever You Do, I Love You!
Ellen Weiss
Illustrated by Sam Williams
A mother's love is unconditional. Even when the mother is an unusual creature, part elephant, part dinosaur, part bi-pedal mammal. Mom's cute, little green child is full of mischief as the day progresses; but at every developing mess, Mom expresses her feelings by restating "I love you." The reader sees the little one, who sports a stripped tail, using the morning porridge for painting on the wall, having a wild time with the craft supplies, racing around with a friend, swinging through the air on a vine, climbing to the top of the latter to explore nature, and finally snuggled into Mom's arms for the night. As she follows her little one around all day, she continuously repeats her refrain of love. Among the many books that address this subject (Mama, Do You Love Me, etc.) this is not a first tier selection but may be useful to add to collections that have a high demand for bedtime reading with little people. It could serve as a good source of action words for developing vocabulary. There is a web site on the back of the book to consult for information about the author and for activities for related to books. 2010, Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, Ages 1 to 3, $7.99. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0809-8
To view Valentine's Day reviews from previous years, click one of the following links:
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
Updated 1/28/11
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