PENGUIN Love

I bought this book to display for Valentine's Day in the month of February. When I saw that Loren Long was the illustrator, I didn't hesitate, and I wasn't disappointed. Matt de la Pena's warm story of the various ways to show love is endearing. This would be a great book for parents to be or new parents. The first page reads, "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." Each page explains another way to show love. Wonderful.If you haven't read Loren Long's Otis The Tractor books, you must. They are all beautifully written and illustrated. Once you have read and purchased one, you will be hooked, and you will need to buy them all.

Great book!

Highly recommend this lovely poetic book. The illustrations are diverse and perfect for my little black boy.

This is a beautiful book about love and where it can be found. Love can be found in the glowing eyes of new parents, in the music on the radio, and the fresh air. Love can be found spending time with those we love in the memories we make in the world around us. Laughter can be love. There is a lot of imagery in this book both in the words and the illustrations. Imagery of making memories together, laughing together, sharing and helping each other, all these things are mentioned. There is one picture that some reviewers haven't liked showing a young boy under a piano as his mother cries and his father stomps from the room. There's a turned over lamp and chair. Love is a beautiful thing, but loving humans can also be a painful, hurtful thing. Sometimes those we love 'flame out' as the book says. While the book is mostly positive, Long includes this picture demonstrating that love is wonderful, but sometimes also painful. Long's illustrations are gorgeous and beautifully complement de la Pena's words.

The child tor whom the book was purchased likes it very much.