Consider Love FROM OUR EDITORS
The Barnes & Noble Review
Celebrate love in all its glorious shapes and sizes with bestselling author Sandra Boynton. This cheerful romp through one of life's greatest gifts explores the many faces of the oft-discussed sentiment. Boynton shows us "love perhaps foolish" (a hippo dives head-first into a layer cake) and "love despairing" (a lowly rabbit waiting by the phone). There's "love problematic" (two porcupines staring tenderly at each other) and "love mysterious" (a cloaked elephant presents a heart to another).
Spare but spirited rhyming text ("A love that appreciates fire, and grace./ A love that adores / one remarkable face./ A love that is steady, devoted, and true -- / Consider my love for incredible you") lets the humor and beauty of the illustrations shine through. Boynton's signature use of fluid lines and unforgettable facial expressions allows readers to relate to every adorable animal. Their passion, frustration, bravery, eloquence, and hope are all ours to enjoy and embrace. Finally, we see all of Boynton's creatures together as the book comes to an end, and we are shown the true meaning of love.
A superlative gift for your special someone. (Amy Barkat)
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Following her hugely successful New York Times bestseller, Yay, You!, Sandra Boynton is back with another all-age picture book that's perfect for Valentine's Day, weddings, or any time anyone wants to say, "I love you." Written with Boynton's incomparable humor and illustrated with her signature characters, Consider Love will be cherished by everyone.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
A pair of books just right for a special someone arrive in time for Valentine's Day. Consider Love: Its Moods and Many Ways by Sandra Boynton, first published in 2002, appears here in a square, paper-over-board mini-edition. The hand-size volume enumerates love in its many manifestations. One standout spread: "Love that is clever," depicting a fox climbing a ladder to gather grapes for his heartthrob, appears opposite, "Love that is foolish," for which a hippo highdives into a tiered chocolate cake. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Publishers Weekly
Arriving just in time for Valentine's Day gift giving, this bouncy volume should please the palates of those searching for a sweet confection for a special someone. An appealing menagerie of Boynton's inimitable animal characters court and cavort through these buoyant pages, demonstrating how love "comes in every shape, and style." Acting out emotions suggested by the minimal rhyming text, these critters demonstrate such phenomena as "hopeful love" (a rabbit's ears form the shape of a heart), "love extravagant" (an elephant presents his amour with an entire apple tree, roots and all), "love perhaps foolish" (a hippo dives head-first into a layer cake) and "love overzealous" (a beaver chomps heart-shaped designs on tree trunks). In a final spread, the animals gather together as the narrative winds to an unabashedly sentimental, sing-song close: "Now consider one love in the midst of the crowd an affectionate love, neither timid nor loud.... A love that is steady, devoted, and true Consider my love for incredible you." Aw, shucks. What's not to love or at least like? All ages. (Jan.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Children's Literature
Kids may get a few chuckles because the pictures are really amusing. The issue of love and the many forms it takes, however, will probably appeal more to adult readers. Since Boynton was a greeting card designer, the book is really like a collection of pictures and sayings that you might find on greeting cards that are appropriate for Valentine's Day, or just to let someone know that you care. She depicts love as cautious or daring, clever or foolish, hot or coolish—the book is filled with delightful pairings. That is the underlying lesson that kids will absorb while they have a chuckle at the pictures. But my bet is that this will be more popular among the college crowd than younger kids. 2002, Simon & Schuster, $14.95. Ages 4 up. Reviewer:Marilyn Courtot
Kirkus Reviews
While clearly intended as pop candy for the grown-up soul, Boynton's latest has a genuine appeal for children of several ages. She has a definite way with words and illustrates them with her waggish, anthropomorphized animals, rich in linear expression and familiar to anyone who has been in a greeting-card store in the past couple of decades. "There's simple love"-two bears waltzing-"and love mysterious"-a veiled elephant presents a heart to another; "Frivolous love"-a cow sporting heart-shaped earrings and eyeglasses "and love too serious"-an anxious turkey interrupts his ladylove's reading. "Comfortable love" finds two pigs side-by-side, while "love problematic" has two porcupines gazing soulfully at each other. There are lots of titles that talk to children about divorce and loss and blended families; but there aren't all that many that talk about love-handholding, Valentine-sending love-in such a direct way. "A love that appreciates fire, and grace. / A love that adores / one remarkable face. / A love that is steady, devoted, and true- / Consider my love for incredible you." (Picture book. 7 )
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