Love is My Favorite Color
Written by Nina Laden, Illustrated by Melissa Castrillon
A sparkling and tender picture book about all the things that are bright and loving in the world and fill our lives with joy.
From caring to hoping to peace to sharing, there are many ways to find joy in the everyday. Celebrate the things that make life wonderful and each day special. With stunning artwork, readers of all ages will find moments to treasure.
Laden and Castrillón team up again, this time conveying metaphors for abstractions such as friendship and gratitude through rhyming couplets and gentle art.
“Love is my favorite color. I love every color I see.” The word love is set off in a magenta semi-script, while the accompanying illustration depicts two children, apparently siblings, joyously jumping on a bed. On the next page, the older of the two tells us, “Peace is my favorite song. I sing it and I feel free.” The accompanying image depicts the children high in a sturdy treehouse, smiling at the fanciful, swirling birds and branches surrounding them. “Friendship is my favorite dance,” says the child on another page; “There are so many dances to try.” An image shows the child cavorting and smiling with a group of other youngsters. Throughout, the book thoughtfully conveys big ideas using experiences that will be understood even by the youngest readers, though older, contemplative children will feel especially affirmed. While there’s a retro feeling to the muted palette, the use of wavy-lined geometry, and the myriad pencil strokes that fill in various spaces, the sensitivity and sensibility are all 21st-century, particularly on spreads extolling bravery (“my favorite mountain”) and equality (“my favorite door”). The soothing text and gentle art are a perfect segue into naptime or bedtime. Another treasure from a well-matched team. -Kirkus Reviews
Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster published January 2, 2024
Hardcover 40 pages
Ages 4-8
ISBN-10 1665913096
ISBN-13 978-1665913096
Also Available at: Bookshop.org