Friday, January 31, 2014

Catching Kisses by Amy Gibson, Book Review


By: Amy Gibson
Illustrated by: Maria Van Lieshout
Published by: MacMillan Children's Books (Feiwel & Friends)
Released on: 12.31.13
Ages: Toddler on up
Rating: 5 Owlets - We LOVED IT
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

At any given moment/someone, somewhere
is blowing a kiss.
And somewhere/someone/is catching it.
    

So begins this journey of the heart, as readers young and old follow a handful of kisses around the United States. From San Francisco to New Orleans to New York City, the text and stylized artwork celebrate all the ways kisses are shared.


This book is simply adorable! From the cute story about the various kinds of kisses that exist in the world around us, to the lyrical words, and really cool illustrations, this book is a must have. 

I loved the lyrical words. With passages like:

At any given moment, someone, somewhere, is blowing a kiss.
And somewhere, someone is catching it.

And

Like thumbprints and snowflakes, no two are the same.

One of the really cool things about this book, is the story and the illustrations take readers on a journey. From the Public Market in Seattle, to the snow capped mountains in Aspen, the Texas State Fair in TX, a little league field Harlem and all the places in between, readers will enjoy the simple illustrations, vibrant colors, and little details about each city that the story takes them to. 

Author Amy Gibson, and illustrator Maria Van Lieshout reminded me of why I love reading children's picture books. I have to say this is one of my favorite picture books I've read in awhile. Not only did my children love it, but I found myself at times wanting to cut out some of the illustrations, and lyrical words to put in a frame to hang in my library. I'd definitely recommend picking this one up!

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~