Review by Booklist Review
PreS^-Gr. 2. In keeping with the Valentine's Day custom of cutting out paper hearts, this offering is completely crafted with inventive cut-paper collages. In this simple story, one small panda decides to make and decorate paper hearts (instructions in the back) and scatter them all over the house: "One heart on the bathroom mirror, / One heart in a shoe / One heart by my mommy's mug / To tell her `I love you!'" Donohue, illustrator of Splish, Splash, Spring (2001), provides clever, colorful collages that steal the show, outshining the rather humdrum verse that tracks the little panda's "heart-and-seek" game. A brief history of Valentine's Day introduces this sweet-as-candy picture book that may inspire kids to invent their own holiday traditions. --Karin Snelson
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Carr's (Splish, Splash, Spring) bouncy, rhymed verse and newcomer Donohue's neon-bright collages combine to create a mild guessing game. A toddler panda makes and hides Valentines for his family. He scrunches underneath the bathtub concealing "one heart in a shoe," and earnestly hides homemade Valentines for all the people he loves, even sending "one heart in an envelope" to Grandma far away. The toddler believes that he will surprise everyone, but readers can plainly see his parents watching from behind doors as he scatters his love notes everywhere. Cunning foil-trimmed hearts decorate checkerboard endpapers, while a foreword provides a historical context for the holiday and an afterword lists clear instructions for "How to Make Hearts." Donohue's pandas resemble three-dimensional, tissue-paper party ornaments, but their uniformly worried, toy animal eyes and staid expressions sometimes lack warmth. As the toddler fools his parents, and his parents fool him at the same time, by pretending to be fooled themselves, the complexity and secrecy multiply. Youngest readers may not fully understand the intended humor, but they likely will get the heartfelt message. Ages 2-6. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-A sneaky little panda secretly slips valentines into various hiding places for his parents to find. The rhymes are plain yet pleasant, "One heart on the bathroom mirror,/One heart in a shoe,/One heart by my mommy's mug/To tell her `I love you!'" Each construction-paper valentine is elaborately decorated with doilies and glitter glue. The panda family is also composed of layers of brightly colored paper, creating the effect of multidimensional collages, and the last page has easy instructions on how to cut out and decorate paper hearts. Preschoolers will enjoy both the colorful artwork and the simple rhymes.-Be Astengo, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A giddy panda bear cub describes hiding homemade Valentines all over his house for family members to find: One heart tucked inside your sleeve, / Playing heart-and-seek. / Find some more, a pocketful! / Daddy, did you peek? Donohue's illustrations, which appear to be paper collages, are a craft-lover's dream, but the rhymes are too vapid and generic to make the cut. From HORN BOOK Spring 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A mischievous panda stealthily spreads some Valentine's Day cheer around his home. Peppy rhymes perfectly capture the young bear's glee as he scatters his homemade hearts throughout the house for his beloved family to discover. Young readers will relish the young cub's ingenuity as he dreams up secret spots for his love tokens: the dog dish, the baby's crib, mom's robe, etc. After distributing his heartfelt bounty, his loving parents reward the would-be cupid with loving hugs. Carr's (Dappled Apples, 2001, etc.) simple verses are just right for little ones: "One heart on the bathroom mirror, / One heart in a shoe, / One heart by my mommy's mug / To tell her 'I love you!' " The inclusion of Valentine lore in the preface and instructions on how to create handcrafted valentines at the end serves to pique the interest of older tots. Donohue's intricate collages offer a wealth of textures and colors to stimulate the eye. From the shaggy "fur" of the panda family's coats-comprised of rows of layered triangles-to the gaily decorated valentines, each spread offers an abundance of details for curious readers. A sweetheart of a tale to foster the holiday spirit. (Picture book. 2-6)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
