Valentine's Day (ISBN 006028515X)

Best Val-Day Book In My Class:
Okay, teachers, you know most Valentines Day books out there are pretty much all the same. This one is not your normal drivel. The children in this book are making valentines for Michiko, whom we infer has moved to Japan. Ms. Rockwell does not insult our intelligence by telling us this right out at the beginning; the reader picks up on this. The super illustrations, done by Lizzy Rockwell (what a talented family!), ingeniously portray each student's valentine on the left page, and on the facing page, shows the memory of Michiko that prompted the valentine's theme. For example, Pablo makes a fish for a Valentine. The text says,"Will you be mine?" You have to look at the facing page to understand that Pablo made a fish valentine because his memory of Michiko centers around the fun they had at a pet store, looking at the fish tank. My kindergartners loved this book. It portrays a multiculturally diverse classroom with grace and warmth. P.S. Another "Not your normal Valentines Day book" is "Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink". That one's entertaining and my students loved it but it centers around a trick played by the central character that causes conflict. Plus, my students surreptitiously start reciting "Your feet really stink" behind my back. Rockwell's book is more in line with the loving aspect of Valentines Day.

Great illustrations, but not her best work:
I usually love Anne Rockwell, but this one disappointed me. The writing is dull and didn't hold my attention or my children's.