Customer Reviews

If You'll Be My Valentine

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"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."

It's Valentine's Day, and a young boy's thought turn to...his dog. The toddler has also written valentines for his cat, his teddy bear, a bird, his grandma, a neighborhood girl, his grandma, mom, and other family members. The book, written by the author of "The Nothing to Do Puppy," may serve as a reminder that one doesn't need to wait for Valentine's Day to enjoy playing and showing one's feelings towards others.

The poems are very lyrical and sweet, and the words easy to read. The book focuses on simple, shared fun, the enjoyment of animals and nature, and gentle give and take of good relationships: Sitting with his brother (I assume), the young boy assures him: "If you'll be my Valentine/I'll sit with you today. We'll read a book/ about some frogs/ If you don't want to play. L There's a Valentine showing a frog holding a heart underneath the text. The facing pages shows the boys read together on a soft-looking, big green couch with a plate of heart-shaped cookies nearby. Illustrator Fumi Kosaka's drawings are soft, soothing, and uncluttered, and the text is set against slightly textured solid color backgrounds. It's a warm, sometimes humorous book, good for Valentine's Day, sleep time, or just cozy up and read time. The book seems just a bit expensive compared to others, but that may be due partially to the fame of its author, the award-winning Cynthia Rylant, and its recent publication date.

This is a great book to use for some modeled writing with our beginning writers. Children can relate to the text and the message. Illustrations are charming as well.

I purchased this book as well as The Ballad of Valentine. We L-O-V-E both books, but found this one to be perfect for reading to my son's preschool class of 3 and 4 year olds. This book is very sweet and fun. I highly recommend it. The Ballad of Valentine is so much fun, but probably too complicated for 3-4 year classroom. Fine for one-on-one.

I used this book for one of my magic shows at a local library, on Valentines Day, and the children LOVED it ! After I read it to the audience, I donated the book to the library. The librarian loved that !

Great pics. Kids like to try and read along. Nice rhyming. My kids (4 yr old twins) wanted to make valentine's for everyone after they read the book.

This has just what I was looking for in a Valentine book for young children. It has sweet, appealing pictures, simple and delightful rhyme, and warm sentiments that a child can relate to. I highly recommend it.