#blogbookaday: Love

Summary:  “‘In the beginning there is light
and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed
and the sound of their voices is love…
A cab driver plays love softly on his radio
while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city
and everything smells new, and it smells like life.’

In this heartfelt celebration of love, Matt de la Peña and illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that’s soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age.” (Taken from Goodreads)

Review: A story that depicts love in so many ways and in so many instances that children will relate to – there is diversity in living circumstances, race, religion, culture and more. The poetic verse is just absolutely beautiful to read and hear and I want to just rip the pictures out of the book and paste them on my walls – they are creative, all -encompassing and such beautiful snippets of every day life.

Personal Reaction: This is a book of absolute beauty, both in words and pictures. I heard about this book for at least a month before it came out and then once it did, social media blew up with all the praise for this book and honestly, it held up to the praise. The words are beautiful and diverse and become mirrors for so many children in the best way and the illustrations encompass that diversity where so many kids can see themselves in the descriptions of love. There was some pushback about one specific spread showing a child cowering under a piano, with upturned furniture and a rocks glass filled with liquid. Although this doesn’t show every child’s experience, I’m betting it shows more experiences than people expect and to be given a chance to see that although it’s not acceptable in any way, shape or form, that it does happen, gives kids a sense of community and feeling of not being alone, which is amazingly powerful.

Title: Love
Author: Matt de la Peña
Illustrator: Loren Long
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 9, 2018

This is a new idea I’m trying on my blog this year that was inspired by @donalynbooks and @heisereads – to provide a brief review of a picture book every day of 2018. You’ll get a brief summary of the story, a review of the content, illustrations and theme, my personal reaction to the book and all the pertinent publication information! Enjoy!