PICTURE BOOK - Love by Matt de la Pena

Illustrated by Loren Long

2018,G Putnam's Sons

HC $17.99

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.26 - 3278 ratings

My rating:  3

Endpapers:  Deep solid purple

Illustrations:  Each page depicts a different child, situation, or family

1^st line/s:  "In the beginning there is light/ and two wide-eyed figures standing/ near the foot of your bed,/ and the sound of their voices is love.

My comments:  Hmmm, not sure about this one.  It's a little vague and I'm not sure how it would be understood or presented to children without a bit of explanation. Perhaps it should have been titled, WHAT IS LOVE to help make understanding of the book more easily realized.  The illustrations are lovely, and there's a cool story in the illustration of each page, but it just doesn't quite "do it" for me, unfortunately.

Goodreads:  From Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long comes a story about the strongest bond there is and the diverse and powerful ways it connects us all. 
"In the beginning there is light
and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed
and the sound of their voices is love.
...
A cab driver plays love softly on his radio
while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city
and everything smells new, and it smells like life."
          In this heartfelt celebration of love, Matt de la Peña and illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that's soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age.