Sweet Hearts

My four-year old picked out this book for bedtime reading. This is a nice change of pace from the usual fare (snakes, dinosaurs and pirates) he and his six-year old brother enjoy. The prologue to the story asks, "Why Do We Celebrate Valentine's Day?" You don't necessarily need to read this to your child but should they ask why people give valentines to each other the page sums it up nicely. A young panda makes lots of valentines and hides them around the house for mommy, daddy, baby, the family dog, and sends one off in the mail to grandma. The rhyming verse is light and soothing, perfect for bedtime reading. One heart in an envelope-- Mail it far away. Cut out lots of valentines. Hey, look! A heart bouquet! The last page of the book offers a nice bonus, easy-to-follow instructions for making and decorating your own paper hearts. Illustrator Dorothy Donohue brings the panda family to life using layers of colored paper. The effect is surprisingly soft for paper collages. Once your child masters making paper hearts they probably will try and recreate many of the illustrations. In summary, while not a classic children's picture book it offers much of what you're looking for at bedtime. The clever theme and opportunity for children to learn how to make valentines makes this book a keeper. Rating: 4 stars.

My cousin wrote this book along with other wonderful , colorful, childrens books, she writes in simple lines so they can be easily read to a child and beautiful pictures to go along with the words. I would recommend any of Jan Carr's childrens books and for older children The Elf of Union Square is great also.