Title: Love
Author: Matt de la Pena
Illustrator: Loren Long
Age Group: 2-8
Synopsis: An absolutely breathtaking look into all of the aspects of love.
The Lowdown:
I really enjoy Matt de la Pena and Loren Long, so when I heard they were teaming up I was very, very, very interested to see what they’d come up with. Then I read Matt de la Pena’s article for Time (http://time.com/5093669/why-we-shouldnt-shield-children-from-darkness/) and was convinced I needed Love ASAP. I’m so glad I bought it. It’s moving, stunning, and poetic. It’s something little ones can understand but also a book that will spur questions as they grow older. It is in short a multi-dimensional ode to an emotion that is complicated and still beautiful. This book will touch your soul and leave you thinking for days. But enough gushing, let’s dive in.
The story is told almost as a poem, that’s broken into small parts for each page. The beginning of book focuses on the love felt by parents for their new baby and the sensations that children experience that can be associated with love (sights, sounds, smells, etc.). It grows and morphs into the bond and support that stays strong through tragedy and gives witness to the feelings of what it feels as though life is without love. De la Pena is kind but honest in his writing, reassuring readers through the tough times with the promise of the support of those around us. He encourages readers to open their eyes to love that is easily missed; small acts that speak volumes. Love familiar and unfamiliar, love that exists all around us, saturating the air with emotion and that which should exist within as well. But it all seems to come full circle, for the story ends as if again spoken by a parent saying goodbye to their child as they go off into the world and reassuring them that though they leave with wishes of luck that really what they’ll carry with them is love.
This story is beautiful and should I have read only the poem itself I would have been moved but in combination with illustrations by Loren Long, this book ascends to even greater heights and speaks to a reader’s soul. Long makes the illustrations inclusive over racial, religious, and economic backgrounds, including everyone is this celebration of love. And he embraces the hardship that de la Pena speaks to in his text, including illustrations of turmoil and strife. His bleak use of colors through these pages really allows young readers to feel the lack of emotion, the desperation. And by honestly portraying these moments the other parts of the book shine even brighter. His characters are expressive and yet subtle, embracing the realness that emanates from this story. The result is moving and emotional.
I’m a crier and also pregnant. I burst into tears at almost anything slightly heart-tugging right now. So the other night when we read this book I handed it over to my stoic husband, knowing that I’d never be able to read it through without getting weepy. About half way through, as I was silently blubbering on my side of Bug, I heard my husband’s voice catch and turned to find him trying to blink back tears. He told me later that it was just so honest. I had to agree. There are times when I hate crying, I avoid things I know will trigger it but this book is so beautiful, so real, and so well done that it’s a shame not to read it. So grab some tissues, take some deep breathes and read this with your children, young or old. It is a conversation-starter, a message, and a testament of all that is sometimes too much to express.
Story Tips:
- Seriously have tissues ready.
- Discuss the illustrations on each page. What/Who is on those pages? How does your little one think they’re related?
I need more!
Matt de la Pena wrote the fabulous Last Stop on Market Street which won a number of awards last year and Miguel and the Grand Harmony. He also has a number of young adult books available. Check out his work at: http://mattdelapena.com/books/
For more about Loren Long check out my review for Toy Boat.
