Have a look at these terrific tales to share with young
people in your life. Neither silly nor sentimental, far from foolish or corny,
these stories hook both grown ups and children with their timeless charm and
warm good-heartedness. If you haven’t had a chance to make valentines for those
you love, these stories will spark your creativity -- and you’re on the way to
making your own wonderful cards to tell others how you care. Find a child you
love, and start today!!
Somebody Loves You, Mr.
Hatch
by Eileen Spinelli
Illustrated by Paul Yalowitz.
Mr.
Hatch lives by himself, eats alone, and has a drab life. But one Valentine’s
Day, Postman Goober delivers a package wrapped in brown paper to Mr. Hatch’s
porch. Inside is a huge, red, heart-shaped box filled with candy. A little card
inside says, “Somebody loves you.”
Mr.
Hatch wonders who has sent this valentine. And then he realizes, he has a
secret admirer! This package changes his whole life, beginning with laughing,
dancing and clapping his hands.
He
takes a walk, wearing a fresh shirt, a yellow tie with blue polka dots, and
even some aftershave. His smile and greeting surprise his neighbors when he
passes them on the sidewalk. He shares chocolates from the heart box at work
during lunchtime instead of eating alone.
When he stops for his usual
newspaper, he notices Mr. Smith doesn’t look well. Mr. Hatch offers to watch
the newsstand while its owner goes to the doctor. Later, when he makes his
usual stop at the grocery store, he notices Mr. Todd looks worried. Mr. Hatch
offers to look for and finds and brings home daughter Melanie who is late from
school.
Finally,
instead of reading the newspaper, Mr. Hatch bakes brownies, makes lemonade and
has a picnic with neighbor children and their parents in his backyard. He even
plays harmonica and everyone dances.
Several
weeks later however, Mr. Goober reports to Mr. Hatch that he delivered the candy
box to the wrong address. Mr. Hatch realizes that there was no secret admirer.
The parties stop. Mr. Hatch returns
to eating alone. Everyone whispers, “What is wrong with Mr. Hatch?”
The
colored pencil illustrations begin with sepia tones, in perfect agreement with
Mr. Hatch’s lonely quiet life. But after the heart shaped candy box arrives,
colors explosively light up the pages and his life.
When Postman Goober comes to
explain his mistake, and remove the empty candy box however, all color drains from
the pages. Grey, tan and brown tones return to reflect Mr. Hatch’s sadness.
“Nobody loved me after all,” he sighs returning to his predictable life, eating
alone at lunch once again.
The happy conclusion to this
charmer will delight both children and the adults who share this lovely story
that confirms what is most important in all our lives, who you love, and who
loves you.
Simon and Schuster, $17.99 (hardcover)
$7.99 (paperback)
Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten –
Grade 2
One Zillion
Valentines
by Frank Modell
Friends
Milton and Marvin decide, “Valentines aren’t just for girls.” They are for
everyone. The two agree to make their own, since they’re short on cash.
They slip the finished valentines
under people’s doors throughout the neighborhood, instead of mailing them.
People are delighted.
When
the boys realize there are lots left over (having made “zillions”), they sell
their handmade valentines, charging five cents each. This gives others a chance
to have the joy of giving.
Milton
thinks they won’t get a valentine from anyone. But Marvin disagrees. With the
money they earned from selling the extra valentines they buy a box of
chocolates to share.
Simple
watercolor illustrations in a cartoon-like style keep the straightforward text
and readers’ attention focused on what the boys do. A double page spread without
text and only a sign saying, “Valentines Handmade 5 cents,” shows the two young
salesmen with their Valentines surrounded by an interested coat- and hat-clad
crowd. Later, a similar text-free double page spread reveals the two racing
down the street, money in hand, toward a candy and card store, with bright red
valentines visible in the window.
This
delightful story is both evidence of the boys’ creativity and expression of
their friendship; a great choice to share with even the youngest of children.
Lerner, $6.95
(paperback)
Interest Level:
Kindergarten – Grade 3
A String of Hearts
by Laura Malone Elliott
Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
When
Sam’s teacher, Mrs. Wright advises the class to make a valentine for everyone,
Sam knows he’s in trouble. The valentine he needs to make for his crush,
Tiffany, will have to be super special. He’s in luck when his neighbor, Mary
Ann, offers to help him. To the reader, however, it appears that Mary Ann wishes
Sam were making a valentine for her, instead of Tiffany.
They spend the afternoon together,
creating valentines. Meanwhile, the only thing Sam knows about popular Tiffany
is her favorite color. Nevertheless, the valentine he makes for her is
beautifully decorated, with purple stickers.
The next day doesn’t turn out quite
the way Sam hopes for with Tiffany. But, unexpectedly he discovers a valentine
from Mary Ann. It opens up into a string of hearts, each one with a different
reason why she likes him. Sam is clearly pleased, and can think of lots of
things to say about Mary Ann. He hurries home to make her valentine special.
Author Elliott has crafted an
engaging story with heartwarming characters. Munsinger’s cheerful watercolor
illustrations show an endearing variety of animals. A perfect interaction
between expressive faces and body language captures the emotions established by
the winsome text. Included at the end is an author’s note about Valentine’s Day
and it’s history.
HarperCollins, $16.99
Interest Level: Junior
Kindergarten – Grade 2
No comments:
Post a Comment