Love You Always by Eileen Spinelli [Review & Giveaway]

Hardcover - Ages  4 - 7
ISBN: 978-0824956868
Published: WorthyKids/Ideals

My thoughts:  This gentle and lovely little book exudes joyful living and encourages little ones to know and accept that they are loved. They are loved always and by a host of people. Their mama, their father, their grandparents, and on and on.

The love is there even though they are not always nice and sweet. Love is for always.

I am so encouraged by the joyful illustrations that Gillian Flint has presented using black pen lines with soft hues of gentle watercolors. The joy is in the action and in the facial expressions of the characters. Pictured are a variety of individual grown ups and children. The children range from blonds to darker skinned curly heads.

Eileen Spinelli uses simple rhymes that roll easily off the tongue with a vocabulary that young listeners will understand. I like the concept of the child being a leaf on the family tree and that family members and those outside the immediate family are included in the range of people who Love You Always. A charming book.

About the book: A love poem to a child from all the people whose love surrounds him or her

A child is a treasured leaf on a family tree, surrounded by love from mom, dad, doting grandparents, aunts and uncles, and family friends too. This sweet, reassuring picture book from Eileen Spinelli acknowledges the whole tree -- the many who are invested in a child's life -- with expressions of unconditional love from each. Heartwarming verse and charming artwork will make this book a must-buy for baby showers, birthdays, and other occasions.

(NOTE: Dark shading on images in this review are fault of Vera's Pictures. Sometimes my pictures just don't quite make it right.)

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Author Bio: Eileen Spinelli spent Saturdays at the public library as a child, and it was there that she decided to become a writer. She’s authored more than fifty children’s books, including Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch; The Best Story; and Two to Cuddle. Eileen lives in Media, Pennsylvania. When she and her husband, Jerry, who’s also an author, are not writing, they are hanging out with their grandkids (30 and counting), playing Scrabble, reading, watching old movies, and raising Monarch butterflies.

Illustrator Bio: Gillian Flint has had a passion for drawing and creating characters for as long as she can remember, so a career in illustration was a natural path for her to take. Her work has been published in the UK, USA, and Australia for clients such as Highlights, Five Mile Press, OUP, and Little Bee Books (book forthcoming). She enjoys using watercolors, crayons, ink, and digital illustration to create a variety of artistic styles. In her spare time, Gillian enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and pottering about in the garden on sunny days.

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by WorthyKids/Ideals to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own, alone and freely given. Winner's copy is provided by and shipped directly to winner by WorthyKids/Ideals.