Customer Reviews

The Very Special Valentine (Templar)

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

 

 

I buy a valentine book for my kids every year, and this one is definitely the sweetest, most beautifully illustrated books ever. The message of the book is about love and nature being better gifts than material items. Bunny Gray wants to find a special valentine for his friend, Rosie. On each page, there is a flap to lift. Each flap has cutouts with metallic foil insets, which appears to be some sort of precious gem which Bunny Gray thinks might make a good gift for Rosie. When the flap is lifted, you see that the shiny objects are actually something lovely from nature.

The flaps and shiny foil keep my 1 year old entertained, while the story and the illustrations charm my 4 year old. I love reading it because of the message, and just because it is so pretty!

My 21 mo old LOVES the pictures in this book, as do I. They are beautifully done...just gorgeous. And the message of the gifts of nature being more precious and beautiful than any man-made gems is one I want her to appreciate. The only thing I don't like about this book is some of the rhyming verses...they just don't quite "work" some of the time. But the book is worth getting for the illustrations alone, and the overall message, so I do definitely recommend it

This book is worth it for the illustrations. It is lovely to look at and fascinates my children. The interactive flaps are engrossing for the baby and actually help keep his interest for the entire read. The story is sweet, too. I look forward to reading this with my kids for many years to come.

We love any book illustrated by Maggie Kneen - my 3.5 year old daughter actaully ask for books with pictures by "Maggie." If you are looking for a Valentine book with a sweet story this is the one - the pictures alone are worth the purchase. The story ryhmes and as another reader stated, they words sometimes do not work very well, but the book is still a beautiful read.

I purchased this book online for my son, an avid fan of story-time. The illustrations are soft, detailed and simply beautiful. The idea behind the story is equally good: what is in your heart and in nature are worth much more than anything money can buy. However, my young son was not familiar with the names of the many fine gem stones that the bunny seeks in the story. Similarly, he didn't comprehend that these items have been given a special value in our society. This story might be better appreciated by a child with knowledge of those concepts. Similarly, an older child would probably understand the text more easily. The story is embedded in a rhyming form that seems forced and in some places, a little too much like a hallmark card. A beautiful book best enjoyed by a child in the upper end of the recommended age group.

My 7 year old future geologist and smarty pants would like to add that jewels and such ARE actually a product of nature- unlike the book says. That is the only reason it loses a star. Otherwise, it is very cute.

This was given to my almost 4 year old Grandson. He absolutely loves the book, and wants it read over and over. He absorbs the pictures, enjoys the rhymes of each page, and of course loves to open each flap to see what the treasure really is. This was one Valentine gift that was a real hit!!

I bought this book based on the Easter book by the same author. We love the Easter version, and while this book is good, the Easter version is much better. I would give the Easter version closer to 5 stars.