When I did something for Valentine’s Day for my three nephews, I had to be creative as one is diabetic, and candy is mostly out of the question (and besides, everyone else will be giving them chocolate, tootsie rolls and cheese puffs regardless anyway. No more food related items were needed). Instead, I would usually give them a little activity book, tattoos from Dover or a of course, a “book-book.” And now, since the youngest is 16, this book would not work for them anymore, I still wish I had this book for them “back in the day.”
Love by Sophia (of The Sophia Books) is a sweet story about creatively and what love means. Love means different things to different people, it is presented differently, and it is received differently depending on the person seeing love. Sophia’s inspiration comes from a comment by her teacher, but like many great artists before her, she is less than appreciated at first by the critics. This book is meant for the older child (ages 5 and up), but if used in the classroom setting you could go up to around 10-years-old. I would say that only because it teaches about point of view and sticking by your vision.
Yasmeen Ismail’s illustrations fit the theme and tone of Jim Averbeck but will not always be a plus for all people. They are subjective due to the cartoon-like imagery, formatting, and coloring. The family is a highlight of the book as they are modern without being pushy about the fact the family is mixed race.
