Love

by Corrinne Averiss (Author) Kirsti Beautyman (Illustrator)

Love
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Funny, emotional, and uplifting picture book about separation and love, to help children understand their emotions.

Everyone loves everyone in Tess's house, but when Tess has to leave for school for the very first time, she is worried that her family's love might not stretch that far. Mom explains that love is like a string, it connects people together even when they are far away. At school Tess notices that all the children have strings! Some are new, some are old, some stretch a long way, and some even stretch right up into the sky. But what happens when a string breaks?

Love is the third in a trio of feel-good picture books from author Corrinne Averiss (Joy (2018), Hope (2019)) - a pure delight from start to finish. A wonderful story that subtly tackles difficult topics of death, grief, separation, and overcoming anxiety.

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Hardcover
$18.95

Publishers Weekly

When Tess, a girl with black wavy hair and light skin, must attend school, she's scared that the golden string of love that she perceives connecting her to her family won't stretch far enough. Her teacher offers comfort ("Tess noticed a little thread between them"), and soon Tess befriends a boy named Harry and begins to perceive people's varying connections. But when her mother is late for pickup, Tess fears the bond's rupture until Mommy arrives with a soothing explanation. Employing the familiar metaphor of love as a string that stretches between loved ones, Averiss adds her own touch with graceful, lightly figurative language ("When Tess visited Granny and Gramps's house, the love she had left there last time was still safe inside," one page reads, the fondness visualized as a golden glow). Beautyman's illustrations are warm and textural, with heartstrings visualized in sweeping loops. A reassuring read for those with separation anxiety. Ages 4-6. (Jan.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

An "intimate story about the lasting connections love creates." - Danielle Ballantyne, Foreword Reviews, starred review
Corrinne Averiss
Corrinne Averiss (Author)
Corrinne Averiss is children's author and BAFTA-winning producer of Share a Story (CiTV). She has written, directed and produced for children's television for 17 years, working for CBeebies, CiTV and Ragdoll. Corrinne's picture books include the critically acclaimed, CILIP Greenaway-nominated A Dot in the Snow and Sorrel and the Sleepover, illustrated by Susan Varley. She was born in Worcestershire, raised in Warwickshire and now lives in Marple, on the edge of the beautiful Peak District with her husband, daughter and cat.

Rosalind Beardshaw (Illustrator)
Rosalind Beardshaw has illustrated many books for children. These include the award-winning Lulu series and the National Trust's A Walk in the Countryside series. She lives in York with her family.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780711255470
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Words & Pictures
Publication date
January 20, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV026000 - Juvenile Fiction | Love & Romance
Library of Congress categories
-

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