First Valentine

November 1, 2022
Valentine's Day is all about hearts, but in this tale, some other shapes sneak in, too. A "little friend" opens a valentine kit and, with moral support from their pet dog, attempts to make a heart-shaped valentine. But creating a heart is not as easy as it seems, and the child's snipping and paper trimming ultimately result in a circle, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, and a star--and an ideal opportunity to review basic shapes. All the protagonist has to show for their work is a lot of frustration and a "great, big mess"--until they look at the shapes they've thrown on the floor. When the child adds glitter, ribbons, and some glue, the shapes come together to make a lovely piece of art and a valentine that's "full of heart," and the little one and their parents embrace--the perfect way to cap a family's love-filled Valentine's Day. At first, rhyming stanzas point readers toward the child's goal of creating a heart, but page turns reveal a different shape. The rhyme in later stanzas provides clues and encourages listeners to guess the new shape. The little friend and their parents have dark brown skin. Featuring an adorable, wide-eyed tyke and plenty of pink and red, the illustrations capture the child's diligent efforts at creating a heart and their emotional reaction to each seemingly failed--but ultimately successful--attempt. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A Valentine's Day review of shapes and a reminder that the perfect heart is the one full of love. (Picture book. 3-6)

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November 7, 2022
Arts-and-crafts and resilience help set the stage for a special Valentine’s Day surprise in George’s amusing rhyming story. Many a scissors-wielding creator will understand the frustration of Black-presenting child “little friend” as they try to fashion a perfect homemade valentine. “Little friend/ Snips to start,/ Sure to make/ a perfect...// CIRCLE?” Following several more attempts at the elusive heart shape, little friend accumulates a “Great, big mess/ Without a heart!” But when all the attempts assemble on the floor, little friend sees the project and its purpose with fresh eyes, rekindling the creative spark. In cozily appointed and richly hued images with plentiful pink and red accents, Murray deftly captures the emotional highs and lows of the journey via the faces of both the kid and their expressive dog. Readers will have fun identifying the different shapes as they appear across this title about how “Care and love/ Make great art.” Ages 3–5.

December 1, 2022

PreS-In this Valentine's story, a child called little friend struggles to make a heart for a valentine. Little friend's dog is there for support but cutting a valentine shape is still hard. The first attempt results in a circle, followed by a square, then a rectangle, triangle, and star. It seems like making a heart will never be a success. Little friend is ready to give up and sits on the chair with legs up, arms crossed, and sad eyes. Even the dog looks worried. The mood changes when little friend looks down at the floor and sees that all the shapes have come together into the shape of a heart. The story has a happy ending when little friend gets to present the piece of art to grateful recipients. Text and illustrations work well together. Little friend and other characters are Black. VERDICT Recommended; this title combines the theme of Valentine's Day with lessons on shapes and not giving up when faced with a challenge.-Robin Sofge

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