Love

October 1, 2018
After tackling Beautiful (2016) and Brave (2017), McAnulty and Lew-Vriethoff present readers with all things love.Though some may disagree with the precise things McAnulty says go with love ("Love needs special presents. // And designer greeting cards"), none can argue with the sentiment, as even those lines are illustrated sweetly. Presents include a flower wreath for a hairless child in a hospital bed, a book shared from a child's overflowing wagon, cookies offered to an elderly woman, a picture for a teacher, and illustrating the "designer greeting card" is a child laboring over some artwork. Indeed, the message that comes through loudest of all is that love is simple and can be symbolized by the smallest things: a bouquet of wildflowers, a single chocolate chip, a message drawn in the sand or on a cast or on a frosty window. Best of all, love is time spent with those you love, whether they be friends, community members, family, or pets. Lew-Vriethoff excels with an effortless-seeming portrayal of diversity in her colorful illustrations. The characters have skin of every shade, there are people in wheelchairs and wearing glasses, and readers can spy both interracial families and ethnic, cultural, and religious markers. Perfect for balancing the commercialism of Valentine's Day. (Picture book. 3-8)

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November 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-The team who produced Brave and Beautiful now presents demonstrations of love. The text and line drawings interact playfully. A "fancy dinner" is a bowl of dog food decorated with a flower, being presented to a glum pup with a leg cast. "Special presents" include a flower tiara, book, cookies, and a handmade drawing. The sounds of love are also celebrated at the shore, and drawing love messages on a wintered window. Pets, a new baby, and an adopted sister illustrate love at first sight. The book's love is also defined in sign language and a Skype visit with a military mom. A nighttime celebration completes with tale with a trio of children drawing hearts in the sky with sparklers. Lew-Vriethoff masterfully mixes cultures in her lushly hued scenes. VERDICT Despite its sometimes abstract similes, this uplifting book looks at the myriad ways that love is expressed and shared in a child's world.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

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