Celebrate Valentine's Day
Whether you want to learn how make your own Valentines or you just want to curl up with a loved one and read, the following selection of books are the perfect to enjoy and celebrate Valentine's Day.
Reviews
Be Mine, Be Mine, Sweet Valentine
Sarah Weeks
Appealing little animals offer their sweethearts the things they love the most as special Valentine's Day gifts. We see the anteater entreating "that someone special" with the rhyme "Give love a chance. / Sweet Valentine for you some ants." The clever trick of this book is that the last rhyming word is hidden under a flap on the right hand page, giving the reader an opportunity to predict the concealed word. For little people, this rhyming book will be more than just a cute little story about giving presents to special friends. It will serve as an enticing reading readiness experience: predicting the rhyme, guessing the favorite thing for each animal, anticipating the next animal to appear. The last page shows a little boy serenading a little girl with the lines "I think you're dandy. / Sweet Valentine for you some...candy." This particular flap lifts up to reveal the last word and the boy holding a bag of candy hearts and two heart-shaped balloons. 2006, Harper Collins, $9.99. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-694-01514-8
ISBN: 978-0-694-01514-6
Be My Valentine
Salina Yoon
The soft and squishy teddy bear on the cover of this board book is holding a red heart that says "Be My Valentine." Opening up the book, kids see a young red-haired girl working on valentines. She has paper, glue, crayons, scissors, sparkles, and all those things to make a fancy card. The first one goes to her mom and the second to her dad. The closing scene shows her with a larger version of the book as her Valentine's card. Each scene is filled with lots of hearts so parents and caregivers could make a game about finding and even counting all of the hearts in each scene. This is an innocuous offering that will probably have more girl than boy appeal. 2006, Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, $5.99. Ages 1 to 3. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 1-4169-0536-7
ISBN: 978-1-4169-0536-3
Best Friends: The True Story of Owen and Mzee
Roberta Edwards
Illustrations by Carol Schwartz
Best Friends is the wonderful story of two unlikely companions. Owen is a baby hippo, who has been abandoned by the rest of his group during a huge storm. He is one year old and all alone. After a bit of a struggle he is rescued from the sea and brought onto land. Knowing that Owen would never be able to survive on his own, and that another new group of hippos would just turn him away, his rescuers take him to an animal wildlife preserve. It was a special kind of zoo called Haller Park. Owen is frightened by his new surroundings. When he first arrives he runs right over to Mzee. Mzee is known as "the wise old man." He is a 130 year old tortoise and the oldest inhabitant at the park. Owen tries to hide behind Mzee! Owen follows Mzee everywhere and even curls up next to him to sleep. Eventually, the two animals become the best of friends, eating together, swimming together, and sleeping side by side. Edwards does a fabulous job of weaving bits information into this beginning science reader. The format is clear and simple; sentences are short and the text is large and bold. Carol Schwartz's colorful illustrations are clean and bright and accompany the text in a way that gives the readers excellent picture clues. This is a wonderful addition to a primary science collection and a part of the "All Aboard Science Reader Series." 2007, Grosset and Dunlap/Penguin Group, Ages 3 to 7, $3.99. Reviewer: Theresa Finch (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-448-44567-0
The Biggest Valentine Ever
Steven Kroll
Illustrated by Jeni Bassett
In this sequel to The Biggest Pumpkin Ever and The Biggest Snowman Ever, Kroll gives us the story of two mice who want to create a special Valentine for their teacher, Mrs. Mousley. Desmond and Clayton decide to work together to make a card as a surprise, but discover that being partners is harder than they had anticipated. They start out fine but end up criticizing each other's work and becoming angry. In their anger they destroy the Valentine. Each mouseling goes home chastened. Wise mouse-fathers counsel their offspring that working together often produces better results than working alone. The boys return to school and begin anew to cooperate in fashioning a very unusual card. Each of them uses his best skill: "Desmond, who was good at cutting small things, cut some tiny pink hearts..." and "Clayton added some glitter and cut out a bunch of other hearts." They glue all of the hearts together to make a gigantic, mouse-shaped Valentine. Of course, the fabulous card is much admired by the teacher and their classmates. The lesson of the story is not too heavy handed and the giant mouse-of-hearts card will serve as an inspiration for creating cards in the classroom or at home. The illustrator pays tribute to the two earlier Kroll titles with pictures featuring a pumpkin and a snowman neatly hung on the dining room wall in Clayton's house. 2006, Cartwheel/Scholastic, $3.99. Ages 4 to 6. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-439-76419-X
ISBN: 978-0-439-76419-3
Dora's "I Love You" Book
Lara Bergen
Illustrated by Robert Roper
With two places for inserting a photo, this is a "personalizable" book for Dora fans. In this sturdy board book, Dora is enumerating all of the people and creatures that she loves. Of course, there is the usual mixture of Spanish and English. Usually the same phrase is reiterated in Spanish: "Te Quiero. I love you." She begins by introducing her parents and saying that she loves them. Then we meet her siblings and her abuela, grandmother, as well as her cousin, Diego. There are questions scattered throughout the story, such as "Who in your family do you love?" Needless to say, she also names "Backpack" and "Map" as friends that she loves, along with her puppy. "Do you have a pet that you love, too?" We also see her settling down to go to sleep snuggling with her favorite stuffed bear, Osito. On the last page, she declares her love for the reader whose picture would fit into the heart shaped "frame" that is accessed by an "insert your photo here" slot (the same sort of insert space appears on the front cover). The bold, brightly colored illustrations are based on the original cartoon character and will appeal recognizably "real" to youngsters. 2007, Simon Spotlight/Nick Jr/Simon & Schuster, Ages 2 to 4, $7.99. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-4169-4716-5
ISBN: 1-4169-4716-7
Happy Valentine's Day, Dolores
Barbara Samuels
She's back! The irrepressible Delores is at it again, this time in a charming and funny story about a special Valentine's Day singing froggie necklace, her big sister and, of course, Duncan the cat. Faye and Delores get along just fine most of the time, but when Delores snoops in her sister's stuff, despite the "Keep Out" signs and warnings, she bites off more than she can chew. Delores loses the necklace but devises a plan to make things right. This rollicking good adventure story is made even more perfect by Samuels' energetic illustrations, from Delores's perfect bunny slippers to the detailed city street scenes and music class antics. This is a Valentine story with a twist, perfect as a read-aloud or to spark a discussion about sibling feuding that eventually turns into sisterly love. 2006, Farrar Straus and Giroux, $16.00. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Augusta Scattergood (Children's Literature).
Samuels's stories about Dolores and her big sister Faye ring true with anyone who has lived or is living with a sibling. But they are also enjoyable and engrossing for anyone. Here we find Faye furious at Dolores's habit of "borrowing" from Faye's room. Still, Dolores cannot help but take a "tiny peek" inside a box Faye has hidden away. The special Valentine frog necklace inside captivates Dolores. Taking it leads to a series of mishaps, culminating in the loss of the necklace and frantic efforts to replace it. Fortunately everything turns out well for the sisters and a Happy Valentine's Day. The stylized, almost cartoony illustrations, visualized mainly in action vignettes, successfully express the misadventures of Dolores and her cat, a creature who plays a part in many scenes but is rarely noted. Humor permeates the scenes of real life at home, in school, and in the city. 2006, Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, $16.00. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-374-32844-3
ISBN: 0-374-32844-7
Happy Valentine's Day, Little Critter!
Mercer Mayer
Little Critter is quite excited about making Valentines at school. We follow him through his day in the classroom as he helps to decorate and celebrate the occasion. The class participates in all the usual activities: making cards, creating "mail boxes," enjoying special cupcakes (in the cafeteria--the day's menu is on a board in the background), and exchanging Valentines. The scenes are full of humor and crammed with lots of classroom details. Children will delight in the lift-the-flap aspect of the book, where the "rest-of-the-story" for each page is revealed. On the page where the mail boxes are opened, Little Critter checks to see if he "got" any cards in his box "...and guess what? (lift-the-flap) I DID." The last scene is of Little Critter giving his mother the special card he made during recess. The reader should be sure to search for Little Critter's friends, the tiny mouse and the big eyed spider, as they find their way through the pages of this addition to the "Litter Critter" series of stories. 2006, Harper Collins, $6.99. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-06-053973-9
ISBN: 978-0-06-053973-3
Heart-to-Heart with Mallory
Laurie Friedman
Illustrations by Barbara Pollak
You really feel as if you are reading nine-year-old Mallory's diary. Laura Friedman makes the story believable and writes in the same voice throughout. At first Mallory does not think she needs a secret diary since she tells all her secrets to Mary Ann, her best friend. Mallory and her family are invited to a neighbor's party; Mallory is thrilled until she learns a little more about the occasion. Her best friend at school is Joey and he tells her that Mary Ann is also coming to the party. She learns that Mary Ann's mother and Joey's father may get married. She becomes unhappy and a little jealous for fear that she will be left out of things. Mary Ann loses interest in the Valentine party at school until she receives a gift from a secret admirer. She receives another gift from a secret admirer and she is really surprised. Mallory writes anonymous letters to Mary Ann's mother and Joey's father hoping she can stop the marriage. This does not happen, and she becomes aware that the secret admirers are Joey's family members. Mallory becomes a happy well-adjusted girl again. Mallory is a typical girl that parents would love to have and neighbors would like their children to have for a friend. Girls may enjoy this book more than boys, but it is one that all children should read. This title is part of the "Mallory's Books" series. 2006, Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing Group, $15.95. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Jennie DeGenaro (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-5750-5932-7
ISBN: 1-5750-5932-0
Hearts & Kisses
Michelle Knudsen
illustrated by Janee Trasler
Cut paper collages are used to create the pictures in this heart-shaped board book. A young girl is excited about her favorite holiday--Valentine's Day. It is time for hugs and kisses and plenty of candy treats. She and her friend are busy creating Valentine's Day cards with glitter, glue, crayons, and paper hearts. She makes one for Mommy and one for Dad and another for her friend. But the part she really likes best is getting a valentine in the mail. The family appears to be one of mixed heritage, and kids from just about any racial group should be able to identify with members of this family or the young girl's friend. 2006, Simon & Schuster, $4.99. Ages 1 to 4. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-689-87099-X
ISBN: 978-0-689-87099-6
I Could Eat You Up!
Jo Harper
Illustrations by Kay Chorao
Parents often tell their children, especially their babies, "I love you so much I could eat you up!" Harper and Chorao explore this theme with charming scenes of human and animal parents and children expressing their love. Beloved little ones are compared to their parents' favorite treats: honey for the bear, banana for the apes, lumps of sugar for the horses. The full-page illustrations are beautifully expressive and capture the essence of a warm parent-child relationship, in animals and humans alike. The animal faces are particularly enchanting and make the animals come alive. Details of the illustrations tell more of a tale than the spare words. The rhyming text feels a bit contrived at times, with the "eat you up" applied to "jug" (to rhyme with "hug") and "lump" (to rhyme with "plump"). Still, the text is lilting when read aloud and would be a calming naptime or bedtime story. 2007, Holiday House, $16.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-8234-1733-9
ISBN: 0-8234-1733-6
I Love You Because You're You
Liza Baker
Illustrated by David McPhail
Repackeged with sturdy pages and a soft puff cover, this book will stand up to many rereading with toddlers. It is a sweet story about a mama fox and her cub. Each page lovingly illustrates the range of emotions that a child experiences daily. Whether the little fox is frightened, bashful, happy or sick, Mama Fox reassures her baby that he is loved. The text is brief enough for a young child yet the message is suited for a child of any age. This story could be used to discuss emotions, feelings and behavior. The illustrations lend themselves to discussion of the baby's actions and the mother's expressions. Perfect for story time or bedtime, it is destined to be a classic tale of unconditional love. 2008, Cartwheel/Scholastic, Ages 1 to 5, $8.99. Reviewer: Julie Eick Granchelli (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-545-02931-5
ISBN: 0-545-02931-7
I Want a Hug
John A. Rowe
Poor Elvis the hedgehog, although he wants to be hugged more than anything else, nobody will hug him because he is "much too prickly!" He sees hugs all around him, in town, in the park, at a soccer match, at the train station, at the hospital, but no one will hug him. Elvis is sad and discouraged, until he hears Colin the Crocodile begging for a kiss, but he is "much too ugly!" So no one will kiss him, until Elvis offers. "I could just hug you for that!" exclaims Colin, giving Elvis "the biggest hug ever," and receiving a big kiss in return. How could anyone resist hugging the impish, big-eyed, be-diapered young creature on the jacket/cover with arms outstretched, prickles or no? Still, in full-page scenes and vignettes, we see Rowe's humorously painted anthropomorphic animals hugging others but ignoring our pathetic hero. Even the end-papers are loaded with hugging creatures to add to the fun. Perhaps this may help readers to look beyond surface appearances with empathy. 2007, minedition/Penguin Young Readers Group, Ages 4 to 7, $16.99. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-698-40064-1
My First Valentine's Day Book
N/A
Part of the "First Holiday Books" series, this charming board book includes five little cards tucked into envelopes attached to each page. The cards are matched to the little animals exchanging rhymed Valentine greetings. The soft, sweetly romanticized illustrations begin with a couple of squirrels: "Two little squirrels sit high up in a tree. / They whisper to each other 'You're the one for me.'" The delightful little card reads "I'm nuts about you." The other animals include kittens, seals, lambs (younger listeners will need explanation for "Will ewe be mine."), and honey bees. The cards could be used as gifts or kept tucked into their envelopes (separate envelopes are not part of the book). This would make an adorable gift book, but it would also be useful as an early reader because of the predictability of the rhymes and the guessing game that could be made from anticipating just what each card will have written inside. It could also serve as a writing prompt for creating homemade cards. My three-year-old granddaughter thought it was "so very cute!" 2006, Kingfisher, $7.95. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780753459300
ISBN: 0753459302
My Froggy Valentine
Matt Novak
Novak has great fun as he tweaks the traditional tale of the Frog Prince. When lonely Princess Polly longs to meet her perfect prince, four frogs are listening. The first claims he will turn into a prince if she kisses him. Unfortunately, it is the prince of trolls that he becomes. He wishes her a Happy Valentine's Day as he leaves. The second frog also requests a kiss, but turns into the prince of goblins, with a Happy Valentine's day wish. The tired princess tries a kiss with the third frog, only to produce the prince of hairy beasts, with the same farewell. The fourth, with a kiss, stays a frog, the prince of all frogs. It is the princess who changes into a frog, for the happy ending. This hand-size comic parody is set as on a stage, with an arched opening cut into the cover, looking beyond the cut-out princes to the cut-out frogs inside. All the characters are cartoons, with round eyes and silly grins. As each of the first four pages is turned, the frog cut-out on that page is transformed and moves over to join the princess. Visible across the page bottoms but not in the text are other critters playing out their own drama. In the final scene, however, the join the bridal party tossing rice at the happy couple. 2008, A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press, Ages 3 to 6, $7.95. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
ISBN: 1-59643-204-7
ISBN: 978-1-59643-204-8
Pepper's Valentine Surprise
Linda Bleck
Lily and her puppy, Pepper, were best friends. However, Lily was planning a Valentine's Day party and did not have time to play. Pepper went outside and helped the squirrels gather nuts. When he came back in, Pepper tried to help Lily by fetching the balloons for her. Just before the party Lily looked for Pepper and saw that he had gone outside to make a special Valentine for her in the snow. She had a special Valentine for Pepper too. Preschoolers will appreciate the simple storyline and the retro 1950s look to the illustrations. They will enjoy the interactive aspects of this book, from the first page where they can take a Valentine out of an envelope, to the movable pages where Pepper helps the squirrels and lifts the piñata. There are pop-ups on several pages, too. While the paper is a heavier card-stock it won't be sturdy enough for toddler handling. Nevertheless, parent and young child can share this as a pleasant introduction to the February holiday. With its pop-ups and removable Valentine this is not suitable for general library circulation. 2007, Little Simon, Ages 2 to 5, $8.99. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-4169-1774-8
ISBN: 1-4169-1774-8
Super-Secret Valentine
Abby Klein
Illustrated by John McKinley
Freddy is not pleased with his mother's idea of hand-made Valentines, but he does like the idea of making a super-special Valentine for a super-special friend. Not a girlfriend, he insists to his teasing sister, just a very good friend who happens to be a girl. Before he ever has the chance to give Jessie his Valentine he must secretly get markers and glue to his room and deal repeatedly with the school bully. Young readers will probably recognize most of the characters from their own classrooms, but most of the situations are exaggerated or overdone, including constant and angry battles with his sister, and getting around his mother's rules that forbid art supplies in the bedroom. Simple black-and-white line drawings capture the changing emotions effectively. The back material includes a letter from the author and a variety of Valentine word games. 2007, Blue Sky Press/Scholastic, $3.99. Ages 6 to 8. Reviewer: Karen Leggett (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-439-78459-X
ISBN: 978-0-439-78459-7
Who Do You Love?
Mandy Stanley
This is another in the series of charming board books that includes, What Do You Say, Baby?, What Do You Do?, and How Do You Feel? Stanley captures young readers with bright colors, simple but expressive faces, and straight forward text. We begin with "Who do you love, bees? We love Her Majesty, the Queen!" The illustration shows a queen bee perched on a honeycomb being admired lovingly by a bunch of buzzing subjects. Now, this is a teachable moment right on the first page. Next we see two flamingoes, who respond to the question with "We love each other." Mrs. Rabbit loves all of her babies, the goldfish loves the boy who feeds him, and the parakeet loves "The bird in the mirror..." My favorite page has the ants answering the "Who do you love" question with "We love the team! Go, ants, go!" On this double spread we see a long line of ants hauling away the leftover fruit from a picnic. The joey names both of his kangaroo parents and then we come to the owl. "What about you, owl? Who do YOU love? Who? Who? Who?" Turning the page, we see two owls hugging making eyes at each other answering "I love you-hoo-hoo!" The frog on the last page asks "Who do you love." This simple book will engender lots of discussion about the various creatures and, of course, those that we love. 2007, Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, Ages 1 to 4, $8.99.
Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-4169-3929-0
ISBN: 1-4169-3929-6
Who Loves You, Baby?
Nina Laden
The illustrations in Laden's newest board book are cute and comfortable, but the characters are not always easy to recognize. While some of the animals pictured are easy to distinguish (e.g., the bee), it may be difficult for young readers to identify some of the other, less clearly drawn animals (e.g., the monkey). However, with an adult's assistance during the initial reading, young readers will soon memorize the short and catchy text and be able to anticipate each illustration. Each picture has a cutout where the animals face would be; by placing the child reader's picture in a space provided on the inner bac cover, readers can see their own face on each animal's body. This allows "babies and toddlers [to] see themselves as adorable animal characters." Unlike some other cut-out books, this board book is sturdy enough to survive heavy circulation, which is good because its catchy concept, colorful illustrations and easy-to-read, enjoyable text are sure to make it popular with children ages 3 to 24 months, as well as their parents and caregivers. It is highly recommended for purchase by parents and public libraries. 2007, Chronicle Books, Ages 3 mo to 2, $6.95. Reviewer: Meagan Albright (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-81185-724-7
ISBN: 987-0-8118-5724-6
Valentine's Day Is--
Gail Gibbons
With her usual well-researched, deft touch, Gibbons has given us another definitive look at a familiar subject--this time the subject is Valentine's Day. Children will love this straightforward, easy to understand explanation of February 14th's celebration of love and friendship. Starting with the most basic information, the author/illustrator--already well known for her many books explaining holidays, seasons, and other subjects of interest to young people--gives historical background and explanations for the various symbols associated with the holiday. Hearts represent "giving the most important part of yourself;" ribbons come from the Middle Ages when knights competed in tournaments wearing ribbons given to them by their sweethearts for good luck; lace, for trimmings and decorations, is a symbol that comes from a Latin word that means "to snare or net" "as in catching someone's heart," etc. I might add that Cupid is wearing a strategically placed ribbon so as not to upset any sensibilities. The emphasis of the book is about sharing Valentine cards (both serious and silly), candy ("sweets for the sweet"), and good times with those who are loved as sweethearts and friends. She sums up the book by saying "Valentine's Day Is ... a day of giving and saying I Love You!" The last page gives directions for creating a homemade Valentine. This is yet another perfect gift for those who must explain the world to little people who want to know "why?" 2006, Holiday House, $16.95. Ages 3 to 8. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-8234-1852-9
ISBN: 978-0-8234-1852-7
To view Valentine's Day reviews from previously years, click one of the following links:
2007
2006
2005
2004
Updated 1/25/08
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