Want me to be flat out honest with you? I’ve always hated Valentine’s Day. I hated walking around school as a teenager, with lanky legs and frizzy hair and a mouth full of braces, while the so-called “pretty” girls were practically human flower shops, complete with pink and red heart balloons blowing in the air atop bouquets of roses and carnations. I’ve always hated that there’s a holiday forcing us to say I love you, when it really should be said to those we care about every day. But now, thanks to Carter Higgins and Lucy Ruth Cummins’ new book, This is Not a Valentine, I kinda fell in love with it. Because this book… oh man. This book is everything.
This is Not a Valentine is such a tender story of a little boy navigating his first crush. It’s not about the trite things kids (or adults, for that matter!) think they should give someone to show their love- but instead those precious, unique things children do that, when viewed through a little one’s eyes, become magical and meaningful. And, oh, the denial! That sweet, innocent denial, when kids try so hard to vocalize how they don’t feel — but their actions tell the entire world a wholly different story!
This heartfelt book is so accessible to children, illustrating that love is composed of those tiny actions we take to show someone we care about how much they brighten our world. This is Not a Valentine is such a sweet exploration of the childlike ways kids may show their admiration for one another – and the thing that makes it extraordinarily special is the beautiful manner in which it coveys how meaningful it is to give others the little things we know will make them the happiest. This is Not a Valentine is picture book perfection, in every sense of the word. In short? It exudes love and tenderness, hands down. Two trunks up for this gem!
RELATED: We’ve got all the best children’s books for you on Happily Ever Elephants, so be sure to check them out!
Want the book? Get it here! This is Not a Valentine, by Carter Higgins. HEE received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher, but all opinions expressed herein are our own.
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