Sweet Hearts [Paperback]

Jan Carr (Author), Dorothy Donohue (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A panda child hides Valentine hearts all over as a way of saying "I love you." This cheerful introduction to Valentine's Day for toddlers includes tips on how to make paper hearts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Carr's (Splish, Splash, Spring) bouncy, rhymed verse and newcomer Donohue's neon-bright collages combine to create a mild guessing game. A toddler panda makes and hides Valentines for his family. He scrunches underneath the bathtub concealing "one heart in a shoe," and earnestly hides homemade Valentines for all the people he loves, even sending "one heart in an envelope" to Grandma far away. The toddler believes that he will surprise everyone, but readers can plainly see his parents watching from behind doors as he scatters his love notes everywhere. Cunning foil-trimmed hearts decorate checkerboard endpapers, while a foreword provides a historical context for the holiday and an afterword lists clear instructions for "How to Make Hearts." Donohue's pandas resemble three-dimensional, tissue-paper party ornaments, but their uniformly worried, toy animal eyes and staid expressions sometimes lack warmth. As the toddler fools his parents, and his parents fool him at the same time, by pretending to be fooled themselves, the complexity and secrecy multiply. Youngest readers may not fully understand the intended humor, but they likely will get the heartfelt message. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-A sneaky little panda secretly slips valentines into various hiding places for his parents to find. The rhymes are plain yet pleasant, "One heart on the bathroom mirror,/One heart in a shoe,/One heart by my mommy's mug/To tell her `I love you!'" Each construction-paper valentine is elaborately decorated with doilies and glitter glue. The panda family is also composed of layers of brightly colored paper, creating the effect of multidimensional collages, and the last page has easy instructions on how to cut out and decorate paper hearts. Preschoolers will enjoy both the colorful artwork and the simple rhymes.
Be Astengo, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (September 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823418790
• ISBN-13: 978-0823418794
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,390,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Two boys' review: Tender story perfect for bedtime reading, March 29, 2009

By 

Jared Castle (Roseburg, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sweet Hearts (Paperback)

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.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sweet hearts book, March 8, 2006

By 

Susan W. Dorrough - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sweet Hearts (Hardcover)

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.