A Kiss Means I Love You

August 1, 2012

PreS-Allen and Futran have created a book with a purpose that is also fun to read. Bright, close-up photos pair well with the text to illustrate different facial expressions and body language. The basics are covered: "A laugh means it's funny, a cry means I'm sad." A few less-common examples are also included. "A shiver means I'm chilly/(please warm me up quick). A sniffle, /a sneeze, /and a cough/mean I'm sick." Each expression or gesture is easy to see in the large, uncluttered photos of very young children. The rhythm of the text is bouncy and easy to read aloud. This title will work well in a program or one-on-one.-Laura Stanfield, Campbell County Public Library, Ft. Thomas, KY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2012
Color photographs of children expressing different emotions and enacting certain situations introduce the idea of "reading" body language to the youngest children. Humans communicate wants, needs and emotions through facial expressions and body language as well as orally. The book promotes the ability to decipher them as a critical skill for children to develop as they explore and have contact with a wide group of individuals. Through up-close photographs and rhyming text, tots see a multicultural cast of children their age smiling, laughing, pouting and expressing anger. One boy extends a toy as an invitation to share; another, finger to lips, requests quiet, illustrating the nuances of a gesture or hand motion. One odd omission is an example of the basic feeling of fear. Some entries are more successful than others, and this reflects the medium: It is difficult to represent shivering, for example, in a still photograph. The rhyme encourages page-turns ("A kiss means I love you, / a wave means hello, / a smile means I'm happy, / a tug means let's go!"), although it stutters at one point and will require practice before reading aloud. Despite small flaws, the book is a solid introduction to a range of human expressions and the concept of nonverbal communication. (Picture book. 2-5)

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