If You'll Be My Valentine - Hardcover

Rylant, Cynthia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 006009270X ISBN 13: 9780060092702

Publisher: HarperColl, 2004

Synopsis

What kind of valentine would you send to a puppy or a kitten or your mother or big brother?

Enjoy and be inspired by a young boy's special way of making cards that no loved one can resist!

With friendly, buoyant rhymes and cheery pictures, Cynthia Rylant and Fumi Kosaka have created the perfect family valentine -- warm, funny, and utterly fresh.

About this title

About the Authors

Cynthia Rylant's gift for conveying the enchantment and beauty to be found in everyday life is seen in such award-winning books as Missing May, winner of the Newbery Medal; A Fine White Dust, a Newbery Honor Book; and The Relatives Came and When I Was Young in the Mountains, both Caldecott Honor Books.

Books she's written and illustrated include the much-beloved Dog Heaven and Cat Heaven.

Cynthia Rylant grew up in West Virginia. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Fumi Kosaka is the illustrator of many picture books, including Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin and If You'll Be My Valentine by Cynthia Rylant. She lives with her husband in New York City.

Reviews

PreS - A little boy creates and presents valentines to his pets, family members, and even his teddy bear in this appealing picture book. Told entirely in rhyme, the story commemorates kindness as well as love: the child reads a book to a younger brother and sends an affectionate note to his grandmother. There are also touches of humor: he tells his dog, "If you'll be my valentine/I'll give you extra treaties./I'll give you two/and maybe three/and let you lick my feeties." The text reads smoothly and is ideal for sharing aloud. Kosaka's pastel artwork is warm and cheery, depicting simply drawn characters set against textured backdrops. On each spread, the text is printed on the left page above a small picture of the appropriate valentine; the right side contains a large illustration of the youngster interacting with the card's recipient. Include this book in holiday programs that celebrate sentiment over commercialism. - Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr. 2. This pleasant picture book brings a young child's sensibility to Valentine's Day. In each verse of the rhyming text, a little boy addresses someone or something he loves, from his cat and his teddy bear to his little sister, his big brother, and his parents. He makes a card for each, expressing his affection and offering a way of spending time together, such as pulling his sister in a wagon or making funny faces with his father. The simplicity of the words and the warmth of the shared activities are reflected in the large scale of the artwork, which creates a friendly, reassuring world with its rounded forms, smiling characters, and gentle colors. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperColl
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 006009270X
• ISBN 13: 9780060092702
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Kosaka Fumi
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32