Review by Booklist Review
A Chinese American boy attempts to draw the perfect heart with his siblings, parents, and grandparents, and for each shape he draws, his family reflects on the emotional malleability of hearts and the different types of love and courage hearts hold. When he is frustrated that he cannot draw a perfect heart, his family reminds him that love can bend, stumble, and "soon bloom in the sunshine, bursting with color." The endearing, thoughtful prose is lyrical and playful at times. The illustrations, painted on wood with acrylics and gouache and combined with digital drawings, have generous texture and depth. Interesting details, such as the features of a cherry blossom tree or the patterns on a piece of fabric, pop throughout the book. The family has different skin tones, and their facial expressions convey a calm serenity. The boy's imperfectly drawn hearts are happily scattered throughout the book, adding sweet charm. This picture book reflects beautifully on love in a way a child can understand and appreciate.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A child finds inspiration, encouragement, and an affirming sense of self in their loving Chinese--cued family's interpretations of the child's creations. Whether it's via steam on a bathroom mirror, dumpling dough at the kitchen table, or a pencil and sketchpad en plein air, the protagonist creates all manner of hearts--each of which evokes a special comparative. A wobbly heart resembles dancing hips in a sibling's estimation, and a shape "that looked like a cloud,/ a small sack of rain" will, says Ah Ma, "change with the skies." By book's end, the child realizes that all the differing shapes they drew are part of their own heart. Stoop's mixed-media illustrations, including acrylics and gouache on wood, and Sze's gentle words depict the loving details of one family's rhythms in this tender ode to creativity and connection. Ages 4--8. (Dec.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A child draws hearts that remind the family of cherished memories. The young narrator draws a heart on a steam-covered mirror in the bathroom. The child's sister sits nearby brushing her teeth. Though the heart comes out wobbly, the child's sister loves it: "That heart is like / our hips when we're dancing / our hands in the air." The protagonist spends the rest of the day drawing hearts--a wriggly heart makes the child's older brother recall "you / when you bounce in your chair / and leap from the steps." Another heart makes the child's father think of "a kite caught in a breeze, / a dream that drifts." The child draws bold polka-dotted hearts, tiny hearts that will bloom like cherry blossoms, hearts that bring to mind rain clouds. Sze's text is poetic and sweet, with each member of this loving and supportive multigenerational family praising the child's efforts and creativity. Depicting the textured woodgrain of a wall to sandy beaches, calm shores, and clear blue skies, Stoop's beautiful, soft illustrations fill the page and bring layers of warmth and texture to the story. Long after sunset, paper lanterns lift into the air, symbolizing heart after heart that the little one has drawn in appreciation for those who fit into "this special heart that is mine." Characters are cued Chinese. A tender story that feels like a cozy hug. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
