Love Is // Picture Book Review
Tired of reading the same picture book over and over and over and over?! Looking for a new picture book to add to your child’s collection? No worries, let’s get into today’s picture book review!
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Title: Love Is
Author: Diane Adams
Illustrator: Claire Keane
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The Picture Book Review
In this picture book, a little girl comes across a duckling who has lost its way. We follow the main character in her journey to take care of the duckling. Through the early and loud mornings to the messy bathtimes, we see the little girl and the duckling develop a close relationship. In one page flip, you see how much the duckling has outgrown their comfortable environment. The little girl and the cute yellow duck must decide how they will move on, and we learn that moving on doesn’t mean forgetting.
About the Text
The book is on the shorter side, and could easily be read in a single sitting. Most pages have just two short lines of text. However, there are quite a few words that I would consider rare words, especially for the younger kids, so there’s some great vocabulary to talk about. The text quickly develops a strong rhythm with occasional rhyming moments.
This picture book easily lends itself to conversations about change and growth, since the picture book focuses on the evolving relationship between a growing duckling and a little girl. This book could help bridge the gap of change from one level or grade or location to another because it reminds the reader that moving on or changing dynamics doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten past relationships.
It would also be the cutest book to talk about how much family members love each other, even through tough change, since there is a focus on relationships lasting even when there is a big change in closeness or location.
About the Illustrations
The illustrations are beautiful! The images have a minimalist feel with strong lines and some light pastel colorings. The main character also has this beautifully textured curly hairstyle that I fell in love with! It reminded me of my own hair texture from when I was smaller, and it was a nice personal connection to have.
I don’t usually take note of a character’s fashion but wow! This character had some great outfits! It really feels like the illustrator took time to develop a personality for the main character through her fashion.
Recommended Ages for this Picture Book
Toddler
A toddler would probably enjoy the cute pictures and the interactions between the main character and the duck. Some of the adventures are a bit mischievous on the duck’s end, like the messy bathtimes, which are perfect for toddlers to enjoy.
Pre-K
This might be the age where the cute reactions to the story might occur the most (at least with the kids I’ve known). Again, the messy bath times will probably be something the preschooler can identify with, but they might also be able to pick-up on the tiredness of the girl during her breakfast and her annoyance at having to tidy up. Small opportunities to talk about change and growing up will begin to present here. Perhaps with a conversation about starting to go to school or moving up to an older classroom.
Early Elementary
As the child gets older, more of the main character’s expressions will be easier to pick-up and identify. The child might even be able to recall a recent moment in which they felt a similar way. During this age range, the opportunity for conversation about growing up and evolving will be even better.
Late Elementary
At this age range, the absolute adorableness of this book’s story will be present. The child will either love it or roll their eyes at the story. They might love the drama of the messy moments with the duck or they might prefer the moments of calm that the main character and the duck have together! Again, conversations about growth and change will manifest but, this time, it might be through changing grades, evolving friendships, and new emotions.
Have you read this book already? Will you be adding it to your collection? Or maybe checking it out from your local library?
This blog post was a picture book review on:
Love Is written by Diane Adams and illustrated by Claire Keane.
