The Little Crooked Bookshelf

THIS IS NOT A VALENTINE

by Carter Higgins

Illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins

(This week's pick is from cottager Jamie Michalak.)

What it's all about...

A little boy gives his friend a series of small gifts--a lucky rock, a ring from the gumball machine, and more. But make no mistake: these are NOT Valentines. Or are they?

Why I love it...

This ode to a best friend is full of love, but in the most un-cornball of ways. The specific details the boy shares about his friend, from the color of her best shoelaces to her favorite hiding place, shows how much he's smitten.

Favorite lines...

This is not a valentine,

since those things have

fancy cursive and swoopy spins

on words that sounds like mush.

This one is scraps and rips

and drippy glue that dried funny

and the green marker that was the

only one that worked.

Besides,

the teacher

made us

make these.

Sample illustration...

From This is Not a Valentine by Carter Higgins. Illustration copyright 2017 by  Lucy Ruth Cummins. Published by Chronicle Books. 

What's the kid-appeal?

Most kids are not huge fans of "words that sound like mush," so this clever and sweet twist on Valentine's Day hits just the right note.

What's the grownup appeal?

This Is Not a Valentine is actually the perfect Valentine's gift for friends and crushes of any age.

Where to find/buy This is Not a Valentine:

Indie Booksellers

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Or at a school or library near you!

Carter Higgins is an elementary school librarian, book blogger, and graphic designer. She is the creator of the Design of the Picture Book blog. This is her first picture book. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

Lucy Ruth Cummins is an author and illustrator, and also and art director of children's books. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

For Your Funny Valentines

Today at the Cottage, we're busy making Valentines, baking cupcakes for our Enchanted Woods friends, and reading books about L-O-V-E. Like a box of chocolates, this sampling of our favorite Valentine's Day books is full of sweet surprises for readers of all ages. Share them with your funny Valentines! 
 

HENRY IN LOVE

by Peter McCarty

Nothing says I love you like a blueberry muffin. In this cat-meets-rabbit story, Henry the cat, gives Chloe the rabbit his one and only blueberry muffin for snack, because Chloe doesn't want her carrot. Now, that's a romantic gesture.

  

NEVER TOO LITTLE TO LOVE

by Jeanne Willis; Illustrated by Jan Fearnley 
Cuteness and clever book design combine in this tale of a mouse named “Tiny Too-Little,” who finds himself lovesick over someone "way up there." He climbs on a series of objects in order to attract her attention, until at last, his ladylove--a very tall giraffe--is revealed.

MR. PRICKLES

A QUILL-FATED LOVE STORY

by Kara LaReau; Illustrated by Scott Magoon
Mr. Prickles was not a particularly friendly fellow. He was tough to get close to . . . because he was a porcupine. Poor Mr. Prickles was very lonely-until the day he met Miss Pointypants. Could she be the perfect prickly companion for moonlit strolls and midnight feasts? An irresistible Valentine's Day read-aloud by the Cottage's own Kara LaReau.

FLIPPED 

by Wendelin Van Draanan

Eggs. Love. Secrets. Drama. Will Juli and Bryce ever figure things out? Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanan is a wonderful novel told in alternating points of view that explores the connection between two very likable characters who meet in second grade.  

HUGGY KISSY 

by Leslie Patricelli 

An adorable board book that explores the various way we show affection. Be prepared for lots of actually huggy kissy moments when you read this one.   

MOLE'S IN LOVE

by David Bedford; Illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

Morris the mole is looking for love. He thinks love is going to be right in front of his nose. But Morris can't see very well, and what he finds at the end of his nose isn't quite the love he was expecting. An endearing story about the power of love and eyeglass. 

Too Cool for This School
by Kristen Tracy
Entertaining and funny, Too Cool for School is the perfect Valentine's gift for tweens. Cottager Kristen Tracy tells the story of a misfit cousin from Alaska relocates to her cousin's middle school in New Mexico, which upsets all the crushes that have been well-established for months. As the quirky new girl captures everybody's attention, friendship begin to strain and one tender heart begins to break. 

LOVE WAVES

by Rosemary Wells 

A sweet celebration of long-distance love, and the ways we keep one another close in our hearts. 

 

GEORGE AND MARTHA
THE COMPLETE STORY OF TWO BEST FRIENDS

by James Marshall

George and Martha's hippo-sized love conquers all, including Martha’s split pea soup. George eats ten bowls of it, even though he hates split pea soup. And when Martha catches him pouring the eleventh bowl into his loafers? Well, she understands and bakes him cookies. Now what could be more romantic than that?

FROG AND TOAD STORYBOOK TREASURY

by Arnold Lobel 

All four beloved stories (Frog and Toad Are Friends, Frog and Toad Together, Frog and Toad All Year, and Days with Frog and Toad) now available in one collection! How better to celebrate Valentine's Day than with this ode to amphibian friendship?