What Is Love?
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
A beautiful fable about the nature of love, from beloved, award-winning picture book creators Mac Barnett and Carson Ellis. What is love? a young boy asks. I can't answer that, his grandmother says, and so the boy goes out into the world to find out. But while each person he meets—the fisherman, the actor, and others—has an answer to his question, not one seems quite right. Could love really be a fish, or applause, or the night? Or could it actually be something much closer to home? This tender, funny tale is an original take on the I love you story, a picture book treasure for all ages to read and cherish. A CLASSIC LOVE STORY: A wonderful narrative voice and spectacular pictures give this book the feel of a modern classic. Fans of The Runaway Bunny, Guess How Much I Love You, and Love You Forever will adore this book. A BOOK THAT KIDS AS WELL AS PARENTS WILL ENJOY: Many books about the love between parents and children are told from an adult's point of view. This book begins from the child's perspective, and it's funny and unexpected in ways that children can relate to, while being thoughtful in ways that adults will appreciate. Like all great children's books, this book can be understood on many levels. A BOOK ABOUT FINDING YOURSELF: The boy's journey takes him to many different people, whose descriptions of what love means to them is very much about how they see themselves and their lives. A GREAT READ-ALOUD: The engaging text is full of surprises and the distinctive voice of the narrator invites audiences to respond. STAR TALENT: Mac Barnett is a New York Times bestselling author and a beloved figure on the school speaking circuit. Carson Ellis is a Caldecott Honor winner and illustrator of some of the most interesting and beautiful children's books published today. They're an incredible creative duo and long-time friends, working together for the first time on this book. Mac Barnett fans Carson Ellis Fans Parents and grandparents Educators Librarians
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"What is love?" a tan-skinned boy in a blue shirt asks his grandmother as she cuts flowers in front of their cottage. "I can't answer that," she says; "If you go out into the world, you might find an answer." As he subsequently inquires, he finds that each person defines love as something that reflects them: to the fisherman, love is a fish; to the carpenter, it's a house; to a dog, it's chasing a cat. Gouache paintings by Ellis (In the Half Room) give the story a fairy tale atmosphere, and a sense of theater, too, as rakishly costumed characters pose like actors on a stage. Barnett (A Polar Bear in the Snow) injects humor by making the book's hero honest to a fault. "But I don't like fish," he says to a fisherman. "They're slimy and taste bad. And they have creepy eyes." To these and all his other objections, the characters repeat, "You do not understand." The humor isn't often reflected in Ellis's spreads, which retain her distinctive look throughout—an aesthetic perfectly suited to the tender moment when the boy returns home to the person who answers his question. Ages 3–5. Agent (for Barnett and Ellis): Steven Malk, Writers House.
