Title: Catching Kisses
Author: Amy Gibson
Illustrator: Maria Van Lieshout
Age Group: 2-5
Synopsis: Follow kisses as they dance around the USA into your heart.
The Lowdown:
Bug and I love dressing up kisses. We blow kisses and chase them around the room to catch them, we swim towards each other and fish kiss, and lately he’s been have me gobble down a kiss so that Peanut can get it through the umbilical cord (CRAZY CUTE!). When I drop him off at school everyone is treated to a bit of a show as he debates exactly how he wants to say goodbye. I think that’s what initially drew me towards this book, that and the stunning silhouette illustrations featured on the cover.
This book reads like a poem. And it is an array of sweetness on each page. It follows a kiss as it goes through the US literally but the text takes a more hypothetical approach. It speaks of the hope and joy that a kiss can give you. It talks about how it can follow you throughout the day, boosting you up and is something that you can always keep as your own. The entirety is tender and adorable, full of a heart-warming sensation that leaves the reader smiling page after page.
The lovely text is made even more amazing by the sensational illustrations. Using a technique I’ve not seen before in a children’s picture book, Van Lieshout uses a vivid array of silhouettes to really focus each picture. All of the people and animals are shown in a very solid color that’s only broken for the eyes and leaves a very stunning impression. The other piece that really elevates this story is that the kiss is also shown as a dandelion seed, colored red. Though a plethora of other seeds are shown they are all white and slowly leave the read seed as the story progresses. It’s not until the end of the book that the red seed finds its home with a young girl floating away on a boat labelled “Dream”.
The entire story is well thought out, so cute, and visually striking. It’s a beautiful combination that is perfect for this time of year and also as a great reminder of the power of something as small as a kiss. Bug loved reading this and I loved the subtle reminder that little things can make a big impact and change someone’s day for the better.
Story Tips:
- Make up your kissing ritual.
- The endpapers show the kiss’s journey, see if you can guess which is which as you read.
I need more!
Amy Gibson has three other books out including: Around the World in Eighty Legs, Split! Splat!, and By Day, By Night. For more information check out her website at: http://www.amygibson.com/
Maria Van Lieshout has a whole array of books available. Some carry the same style she displays in Catching Kisses, some go in a new direction. Decide which is your favorite: http://www.mariavanlieshout.com/work/books-toys/
