I LOVE YOU LIKE

A humorous explanation of what love is and isn’t.

Though the text is straightforward, the spare cartoon illustrations are loaded with fun details. Spreads feature the words I love you followed by three rhyming phrases. The first illustration of each verse offers a humorous contradiction: “I love you like a cuddle loves”—a cactus? (The accompanying image depicts a brown-skinned child looking nervously at the cactus.) Of course not. But the next illustrations and words show more likely comparisons. “I love you like a cuddle loves / a bunny.” Even the youngest listeners will get the joke that a bear loves honey and not broccoli or that a cat prefers sleeping in the sun to walking under cloudy skies, although many young readers will not embrace I love you “like a heart loves / romance.” Strategic page turns add suspense or giggles and create opportunities for children to supply their own answers, perhaps even in rhyme, and the text’s simple format can easily be extended for more wordplay using daily events. Fun word choices will introduce kids to potentially new vocabulary. “I love you like a pirate loves / an X, // like a witch loves / a hex, // and like a muscle loves / to flex.” Because the book ends with the clear message of “I LOVE YOU!” readers should be prepared to close the book and share a loving hug or two. Characters throughout are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Perfect for a snuggly read, a Valentine’s Day storytime, or a gift between special friends of any age.