VALENTINE’S DAY IS...

In her signature style, Gibbons explains the origins, traditions and symbols of Valentine’s Day. There are some good stories here, and young readers will enjoy the intriguing vignettes, including one about “a kind man named Valentine,” who gave a letter to his friend’s blind daughter, and when she opened the letter—signed “from your Valentine—her vision was restored. Cupid, Gibbons explains, “was the God of love in ancient Rome.” Lace, she writes, is a Latin word that means “ ‘to snare or net,’ as in catching someone’s heart,” which is why it’s used to decorate valentines. Each colorful spread starts with the titular line: “Valentine’s Day Is . . . ” and is packed with visual detail. With instructions for making a heart-shaped card, this makes a nice addition to Gibbons’s holiday oeuvre. (Picture book. 4-8)