The perfect Valentine is a book! That’s because February 14 also happens to be Book Giving Day… and I’ve got a Valentines Day picture book recommendation for you! Be My Valenslime by Kris Tarantino has just the right amount of sweet and silly. And it even has a deeper message about love.
Young monster Snoodles borrows a box of Valentines Day decor from neighboring woodland creatures. At first, the other monsters balk at the idea of celebrating love, but eventually, they get in the groove. The problem is, monster claws aren’t very good for glueing Valentines or holding scissors. Snoodles’ monster friends make a mess.
Instead of getting frustrated at each disappointment, Snoodles remembers that love is kind, patience, never rude, and so on. Each quality of love also appears I Corinthians 13, the Love chapter in the Bible. Snoodles provides a great role model for kids responding to things not going their way. Yet the book manages to keep the story fun and light and not-preachy.
If the illustration style looks familiar to you, that’s because Cori Doerrfeld illustrated Be My Valenslime! She’s the bestselling illustrator of one of my favorite picture books, The Rabbit Listened, which I’ve reviewed here. And your kids will love running little fingers over the raised glitter details on the cover!
Looking for fun ways to extend your book experience? Tarantino has a Valentines Day activity pack on her website.
So why not give a Valentines Day picture book instead of a card? Your child can enjoy it again and again instead of tossing it in the trash.
I should mention that this book is written by a local friend of mine and published by my publisher, WaterBrook, who sent me a copy. This review expresses my own opinions, as all my reviews do.
