[B]oth serious and amusing. . . moving. . . timeless. . . The shapes and patterns of Ellis’s art, combined with the tenor of Barnett’s narration, give this book an air of mystery, whatever love is or isn’t.”—The New York Times
“This poetic story appeals to a wide range of readers. . . Together, the narrative and illustrations are well balanced. . . Young children and their families will enjoy the blend of silliness and beauty in this memorable depiction of one boy’s quest to learn more about love.”—School Library Journal, starred review
“[A] sweet and timeless lesson.”—Kirkus Reviews
“[C]aptured in richly colored gouache illustrations by Ellis [and] distinctive hand-lettering . . . [t]his moving, but never cloying, book—a specialty of author Barnett—will have children putting their inferencing skills to work. . . . Ellis’s subtle details are gratifying—especially the grandmother’s cozy pink house, the book’s beating heart. Wholly lovable.”—The Horn Book Magazine
“Gouache paintings by Ellis (In the Half Room) give the story a fairy tale atmosphere, and a sense of theater, too, as rakishly costumed characters pose like actors on a stage. Barnett (A Polar Bear in the Snow) injects humor by making the book’s hero honest to a fault. . . . Ellis’s spreads . . . retain her distinctive look throughout—an aesthetic perfectly suited to the tender moment when the boy returns home to the person who answers his question.”—Publishers Weekly
“[With] some pleasingly humorous touches along the way . . . Ellis’ gouache art is familiarly spare yet gemütlich, picking up the text’s folkloric mood as the boy travels. [What Is Love?] could lead to some interesting discussions about how we all define love.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"When a boy sets out to discover What Is Love?, many voices respond, but he must find his own answers in this touching, timeless affirmation of familial and familiar bonds."— Shelf Awareness, starred review
“Barnett’s story is profound and accessible, a tale infused with a sense of adventure and a timeless quality. Carson Ellis’ illustrations add color and energy to the proceedings. Thanks to her fanciful, detailed depictions, each character the boy encounters has a distinct personality. This journey will inspire readers to consider the book’s central question and come up with answers of their own.”—BookPage, starred review
“Lovely and lyrical . . . Flat gouache paintings provide the perfect ethereal setting for the fairy tale–like story. . . . The words and images work together to create layers of thought and understanding, making [What Is Love?] rewarding to a wide range of readers.”—Booklist, starred review
★ 11/01/2021
PreS-Gr 2—Sometimes, the simplest question results in the most complex answer. One day, a curious young boy asks his grandmother what love is. Despite her age and life experience, she is unable to adequately reply to his query and ultimately suggests that the boy venture out into the world to discover an answer for himself. Instead of one unanimous response, however, there are many. Every person the boy encounters has a different opinion of the truth—from a fish, to a seed, to the night—ultimately leading the boy to determine his own interpretation of the elusive emotion. This poetic story appeals to a wide range of readers; short, repetitive phrases help young children connect to the text, while the depth of the subject matter resonates with older readers as well. Throughout the book, specific words are emphasized in larger, lyrical font, dramatically standing apart from the rest of the text. Together, the narrative and illustrations are well balanced, enhancing the visual appeal of the book. Created in gouache on watercolor paper, the images vary in detail and intensity, repeating select visuals at the beginning and end in an intentional symmetry that balances light and dark. Much like the message of Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, the concept of love is ambiguous in general, but clearly defined for each character. VERDICT Young children and their families will enjoy the blend of silliness and beauty in this memorable depiction of one boy's quest to learn more about love.—Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver P.L.
2021-09-15
A boy leaves home to find the answer to the age-old question, “What is love?”
In this homey parable told in first person, an unnamed narrator asks his grandmother what love is, but instead of answering, she encourages him to go out into the world to find the answer. What follows is an episodic meeting of characters incorporating a bracketed refrain. “What is love?” the boy asks each character he meets. Each one then likens love to something that is meaningful to their life: The fisherman believes that love is a fish, the actor insists that love is applause, the carpenter thinks it is a house, and so on. However, the literal-minded boy is unconvinced by each character’s arguments. Fish are slimy and taste bad, applause is ephemeral, and hammers are dangerous. The encounters all end the same way: “You do not understand,” each character sighs. It is not until he returns as a grown man back home to his grandmother that he finally does. Static watercolor illustrations accompany the tale, giving the impression of a collection of still lifes rather than an immersive journey. And while the simplicity works well with the folk feeling and dry humor of the storytelling, it may not be the most engaging for young readers. The lesson, however, is eternal. Both boy and grandmother have beige skin, the boy’s hair black and the grandmother’s gray; other characters met are racially diverse.
Not exactly groundbreaking, but still a sweet and timeless lesson. (Picture book. 4-8)
