Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this call-and-response celebration of love's power to grow and endure, individuals in inclusive pairs--across ability, gender expression, generation, and skin tone--tell the other what their bond means to them. Young and old, skinny and stocky, all are drawn with grace and humor by Love (Julián Is a Mermaid). On the verso of one spread, a child with a long, thick black braid listens to an adult spinning a tale about a dragon: "I love you because you tell the best stories," the child says. On the recto, the same adult holds the face of the now mature youth, whose backpack tells of a journey to come. "Because I love you," the adult says, "my best story is you." On another spread, identical twins with bobbed haircuts and party dresses stand before a birthday cake: "I love you because we go together," writes Va˘n (Wishes). Shown much older on the recto, one twin wears cropped hair and pants: "Because I love you," the text reads, "we change and grow together." Throughout, words and images testify to acceptance, joy, and intimacy over time, and they are worth visiting again and again. Ages 4--8. (Jan.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2--What is love? This compelling title attempts to capture many different expressions of love, a topic of much discussion in children's literature. Each spread features a short dialogue declaring the ways that love is expressed and how it changes a person for the better. On one spread two parents hear their toddler, who has just drawn all over the walls of their house, say "I love you because you let me make mistakes." The opposite page shows the trio turning the scribbles into a wall of art: "Because I love you, no mistake is ever too great." "I love you because you see what others miss" becomes an even more powerful, "Because I love you, I see more than before." The diversity of the characters and the expressions of love provide multiple opportunities for children to find themselves reflected in these pages. This title would also make a wonderful writing prompt for children and even preteens to share their own experiences of love and how it has transformed their lives. Love's illustrations, in acrylic ink, watercolor and gouache, are brimming with emotion, capturing Van's lyrical language but enhancing it, and welcoming all. The effect, across the pages, is ever expansive, like a peony blossom unfolding. VERDICT Beautifully written and illustrated, this title presents and grows the concept of love in so many ways that it cannot fail to inspire children to assess the ways they share love and are affected by it.--John Scott
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Love is what makes the world go round. This tender and emotive picture book offers an expansive vision of diverse human beings expressing love for one another. The illustrations show people of all ages bonding over everyday activities like baking and attending a sports game and standing with each other through significant life events like celebrating a birthday and leaving home. The text uses a call-and-response structure to underscore the reciprocal nature of love. Each statement beginning with "I love you because" is answered with a sentence that begins with the refrain "Because I love you." Throughout, text on the verso pages appears in regular type, while text on the recto is italicized, visually supporting the creation of two distinct voices. The book gently teases out the relationship between love and various qualities like playfulness, emotional strength, forgiveness, courage, and loyalty. The somewhat impressionistic artwork (ironically created by an illustrator whose surname is Love), rendered in acrylic ink, watercolor, and gouache, lends a soothing ambiance. Characters depicted include racially diverse families, a queer interracial couple, and people of all ages, including those with disabilities. An inclusive, affirming, warmhearted book with lots to love. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
