Love

A Winter 2017-2018 Kids’ Indie Next Top Pick

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Matthew de la Peña's writing is gentle and poetic, and Loren Long's lyrical illustrations are full of beautiful authenticity in this sweet homage to love. The book doesn't shy away from anxiety and sorrow, but it always depicts them surrounded by and lightened by love. Recommended By Matt K. , Powells.com

From Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long comes a story about the strongest bond there is and the diverse and powerful ways it connects us all.

"In the beginning there is light
and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed
and the sound of their voices is love.
...
A cab driver plays love softly on his radio
while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city
and everything smells new, and it smells like life."

In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that's soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age.

“Newbery Award–winning De la Peña offers a lyrical ode to love in this stirring picture book. . . . In De la Peña’s lines, love becomes not just an emotion between people but a feeling suffusing the world.” Booklist

“From the moment prose and art appear in the opening spread, de la Peña and Long usher readers into a patient, pensive meditation on love. . . . Timely, timeless, and utterly necessary.” Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

”De la Peña’s prose poem speaks right to young children. . . . People often talk to children about love; in these pages, they can see and feel what it’s like. And there’s plenty for everybody.” Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

Matt de la Peña is the author of Last Stop on Market Street, which won the Newbery Medal and was chosen for the Caldecott Honor. He is also the author the award-winning picture book A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis and six critically acclaimed young adult novels. Matt teaches creative writing and visits schools and colleges throughout the country. Matt lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Loren Long is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Otis series. He's also the illustrator of the #1 New York Times bestseller Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama, as well as the re-illustrated, #1 New York Times bestseller The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. He lives near Cincinnati with his wife, two sons, and two Weimaraners. Visit him online at LorenLong.com or on Twitter @lorenlong.