Catching Kisses

October 14, 2013
As children read Gibson’s ode to the rite of blowing kisses (“Like thumbprints and snowflakes, no two are the same”), they may realize that they’re also being taken on a tour of the U.S. Van Lieshout’s (Flight 1-2-3) silkscreen-like spreads start from the Golden Gate Bridge and head down Route 66 (where kisses “smell of ginger and cinnamon, tortillas and oatmeal, fresh bread and hot chocolate”), arrive at a station on Chicago’s Loop, and circle the country in a balance of urban energy and rural calm. Gibson (Split! Splat!) doesn’t shrink from strong feeling: “Kisses are powerful./ No wall can hold them back./ No fence can keep them out.” But Van Lieshout’s teal spreads, spiked with lime and strawberry, stay light and airy as she represents Gibson’s kisses as dandelion puffs that drift through every scene. What starts out as a celebration of affection turns out to be a paean to life in the United States, and the message is clear: in almost every kind of place you can think of, people are expressing love for each other. Ages 3–6. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

October 1, 2013
Graphic art using bold shapes and colorful silhouettes makes an admirable attempt to illustrate a kiss and show the many places throughout the United States that kisses can come from and travel to in this ephemeral title. Gibson's prose dances along the pages, encouraging readers to imagine the smells, sounds, textures and trajectories of kisses: "At any given moment, someone, somewhere, is blowing a kiss. / And somewhere, someone is catching it." Van Lieshout does her best to create spreads that provide a visual context for the rather abstract concepts introduced in the text. Although a blown kiss is invisible, readers see airborne dandelion fluff in various sizes and colors float across each page, zigzagging through New York City traffic or, oddly, swirling by two affectionate deer in a wintry scene. Only some children but most adults will recognize the landmarks portrayed, including Times Square, Washington, D.C., St. Louis and New Orleans. A map at the end of the book helpfully shows the cities featured. This title can be used as a springboard for discussion about visualizing things that are quite real but unseen. While younger readers may balk at thinking of a kiss as something that can be hidden in a pocket or tucked in a book, most can relate to kisses that "SMACK! like bubblegum" or "whisper like butterflies." Overall, an elegant, ambitious effort. (Picture book. 4-8)

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November 1, 2013

K-Gr 2-"At any given moment, someone, somewhere, is blowing a kiss." So opens this ode to kisses and their staying power. Blocky, retro illustrations depict recognizable American landscapes through which the kisses blow, making the book a love poem to the country, too. A map at the back marks the cities by name. Less a story than a meditation on love ("Kisses are powerful. No wall can hold them back. No fence can keep them out"), this title may be a tad too abstract and too sentimental for many children. The Jacksonville scene depicts sailors saying goodbye to family members before shipping out, and the book may work well with children separated from loved ones. It may be even better as a gift book for adults facing time apart-like a more sophisticated version of Audrey Penn's The Kissing Hand. And of course, librarians and educators will find it useful for Valentine's Day programs.-Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2013
Preschool-K Children love kisses: the way they sound, how they feel, and the emotion they evoke. They are particularly fascinated by the imagined trajectory and landing of a blown kiss. Gibson captures all that and more in rhythmic, evocative phrases that describe kisses sailing, smelling of ginger and cinnamon, feeling as velvet as peach fuzz, and smacking like bubble gum. Literal-minded readers may find it confusing that the kiss is represented by an airborne dandelion seed after a child blows on a seed head, but it provides a visual to follow not the short distance they might expect, but around the United States. Van Lieshout's digital art replicates woodblock prints and takes readers from urban, suburban, forest, and waterfront settings across the land of opportunity, striking a patriotic note. In the closing scene, the beloved recipient of the kiss is seen snug and secure in a boat named Dream. It is a bit of a stretch, but adults will still appreciate the sentiment, while youngsters will eagerly await the kisses the book is sure to engender.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)