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There's a fine art to turning a great life into something digestible for a child. The art lies in finding the essence, an almost haiku-like writing that condenses, getting only the most salient details on the page. Each of the following biographies rises to that fine art.

Valentine's Day is next Saturday, but I thought it might be more helpful to give you my picture book picks for V-Day this week, just in case you want to look for them this upcoming week. Enjoy!


Lovey and Dovey is written by husband and wife team, Elle van Lieshout and Erik van Os and illustrated by Mies van Hout. And is SO cute. Now some of the more "picky" or "conservative" folks out there may say this story advocates stealing, but really, it's just about loving each other.

Lovey and Dovey are a husband and wife that were placed into a small, bleak dungeon when they were caught stealing a pair of socks. Completely in love with each other, the pair does everything they can to make each other happy, including making their new "home" sweet and cozy. Dovey shimmies between the window bars and paints a beautiful mural of sun and sea, placing it over their window so they have a beautiful view
The pair begin to love their dungeon so much, as it's now filled with their love for each other, that when they're released, neither are quite sure what to do. They miss their cozy little cell! Finally they have another brilliant idea...to steal another pair of socks! :)

In my opinion, an adorable read aloud...

Lovey and Dovey
Elle van Lieshout & Erik Van Os
32pages
Picture Book
Lemniscaat
9781590786604
January 2009

Love, Splat is written and illustrated by the amazing Rob Scotton. His first Splat book, Splat the Cat, was a rousing success, combining adorable (and beautiful) illustrations and a cute story about a worrisome cat named Splat. This second book is just as cute and adorable, but this time adds a little bit of luv in the mix!

Now that Splat has gotten to love his new school, it's almost Valentine's Day and he is anxiously waiting for the right moment to tell Kitten, the most popular cat in school, how much he likes her. He spends lots of time making a beautiful valentine for her, but all she seems to want to do is pick on him. When another cat makes a move on Kitten first, Splat is sure he's lost the love of his short life...but sometimes girl cats are sneakier than they seem.

Rob Scotton is incredibly talented when it comes to illustrations and his stories are super cute. This would make a great Valentine's read aloud. You can pair it with a Valentine making craft.

Love, Splat
Rob Scotton
40pages
Picture Book
HarperCollins
9780060831578
November 2008

My Penguin Osbert in Love, written by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel and illustrated by H.B. "Buck" Lewis, is another "second" book, as was Splat.

This time around, Joe's penguin Osbert (who is now living in the zoo), shows up on the boy's doorstep looking for help getting to the South Pole. Though Joe has another obligation, he agrees to help out the penguins and finds out that there is something much more beautiful at the South Pole than just the amazing "Southern Lights." Osbert has fallen in love!

A sweet story, if not a bit long. I would recommend this one more for home reading than a read aloud at story time. Also includes recipes for Southern Extravaganza Punch and Black and White Penguin Cookies. Yum!

My Penguin Osbert in Love
Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
40pages
Picture Book
Candlewick Press
9780763630324
February 2009

Enjoy your Valentine's Day!