The House of Love
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
New York Times bestselling adult novelist Adriana Trigiani and beloved illustrator Amy June Bates team up for a heartwarming picture book about a how a family comes together to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Mia Valentina Amore loves valentines. After all, her name means My Valentine. When she wakes up on Valentine's Day, it looks like just another morning in the rickety old Amore house in the Blue Ridge mountains of Appalachia. But over the course of the day, her home is transformed into the House of Love. Mia and her mama festoon the halls, build a gumdrop tree, bake cupcakes, and most importantly, make valentines for all six of her siblings. But when Mia doesn't receive her own valentine, she wonders if Mama could have forgotten her.
New York Times bestselling novelist and filmmaker Adriana Trigiani has crafted a tender mother-daughter story that celebrates Valentine's Day or any day that brings family together. And acclaimed illustrator Amy June Bates brings warmth and coziness to a story that affirms it doesn't matter where you come from as long as that place is full of love.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Though money is tight, a large Italian family finds a way to make February 14th festive in this tenderhearted tale set in the Appalachian Mountains. At the center of the sincere, densely worded book is the aptly named Mia Valentina Amore; with most of the family away for the day, it's up to pale-skinned Mia and her mother to bedazzle their old house for a Valentine's Day party. First they clean, wiping around the buttons that cover the windows' holes and pulling down the parlor's dingy wallpaper to reveal another layer with images of blooming roses. Next they decorate, framing custom valentines. When the family comes together for pasta dinner, it's a joyous affair for all but Mia, who fears her own valentine has been forgotten; luckily, bedtime presents the child with a satisfying surprise. Trigiani's sentimental prose is matched by Bates's nostalgic, rose-hued watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations; the pairing makes for a heartfelt and sensitive holiday homage. Ages 3–7.
