A Book of Love

by Emma Randall, Emma Randall (Illustrator)

Overview

Celebrate love with this rhyming picture book featuring enchanting illustrations and poetic text!

Love and the many ways one can show it are at the heart of this sweet, charming picture book. Whether it's giving someone a big hug, offering a helping hand, or sharing words of encouragement, it's these gestures that make the world a better place to live. Emma Randall's delicate and appealing illustrations accompany delightful verses in a timeless story perfect for reading aloud with loved ones.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781524793319
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	12/24/2019
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,114,415
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD740L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Emma Randall (she/her) is a UK-based illustrator specializing in children's book illustration, both fiction and nonfiction. She is the illustrator of Over the River and Through the Wood and The Twelve Days of Christmas, which received a starred review from Kirkus.

Editorial Reviews

12/16/2019

This volume examines the many definitions of love—in unevenly rhyming text, Randall describes helping elders, giving presents, and forgiving slights, among other kind acts. The rhymes can feel a touch simple: “We often show our love with touch,/ like a great big hug or kiss./ But there are lots of ways to show you care,/ and ideas not to miss.” Still, Randall’s joyful heart-spangled scenes, featuring wide-eyed figures, exude warmth, syncing with the story best when celebrating inclusivity: a spread upon which a large, diverse group of people hold hands reads, “We’re all wonderfully different,/ and come in many colors and sizes./ If we love each other just as we are,/ just watch how everyone rises.” Attentive readers will notice a subtle visual message of paying kindness forward—a worthy one, despite the book’s greeting-card tone. Ages 3–7. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

2019-10-13
A how-to book of love.

Valentine's Day brings a new crop of books each year about love, including at least one that attempts to define and exemplify love. This is that book for 2020. "We often show our love with touch, / like a great big hug or kiss. / But there are lots of ways to show you care, / and ideas not to miss." These include being patient, listening to someone who's having a tough day, gifts, kind deeds (like washing the dishes), "forgiving and forgetting," sharing with siblings, standing up for people, and looking past faults. In some cases, the pictures may not aid much in comprehension, especially with the younger audience the rhymes are meant to appeal to: "To offer a gentle word or two, / and consider how others feel, / are both examples of selfless acts / that prove your love is real" (one child cheers on a frightened soloist at a recital—does that really illustrate selflessness?). The meter is sometimes off, and in a few cases it's clear words were chosen for rhyme rather than meaning. Bright illustrations fill the pages with adorable children readers can trace throughout the book. The final two spreads are the strongest: One depicts a robustly diverse crowd of people all holding hands and smiling; the other is a starry spread over a neighborhood full of homes, hearts spangling the sky.

A nice sentiment marred somewhat by its forced verse. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews