Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (What is Love) through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 
Have you ever struggled with the meaning of love, asking yourself, What is love? Mac Barnet asks this question in a fable-like picture book. Today I would like to tell you all about it. It’s actually more difficult to define endearment, adoration, warmth or passion than one might think. It’s no small wonder that this young fellow struggled so.
What I am reviewing
ChronicleKids put together a 44-page picture book for children 3-5 years old. Author Mac Barnett asks this not so simple question “what is love?” and through the experiences of one young boy we see love described by a wide variety of sources. Illustrated by Carson Ellis we see bright colours throughout. I am reviewing on behalf of Raincoast Books.
What is love, seeing the details
A young boy asks gramma, what is love? Gramma simply says “I can’t answer that.” She advises him to head into the world, and see what he discovers. Carson Ellis uses a wide colour palette as he envisions this young fellow’s journey. They are presented using gouache on watercolor paper.
In his journey, he meets a wide variety of people, each with a different answer to his question. Some of those answers seemed contradictory. However will he discover the answer? (I won’t tell you this). 🙂
You will find the font easy to read. It is in black against a cream coloured page. The things people enjoy in a larger font, their explanations and the seekers response in a regular font.
I’m not surprised that this young person doesn’t understand that different things that people adore. It’s outside of his experience and life.
What do I think?
So I read Mac Barnet’s tome, and I thought it cleverly well-done. I love how the author shows what this strong emotion/feeling is from different perspectives. But those perspectives were always selfish. One person’s need or desire or want is summed up as love.
I think, as a faith-based reviewer, that this would be a fantastic book to introduce what love really is.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. This comes from 1 John 4. Love is so much more than what we need or appreciate in the moment.
I also find it fantastic the sheer variety in colour, occupations, lifestyles, cultures etc displayed throughout. You’ll see women carpenters, red-bearded fishermen, dark-coloured soldiers, women farmers, male poets and more. Devotion for different things is expressed world-wide.
Other books on this topic that you might enjoy are:
What a beautiful book. Thank you for sharing it. I think it would be good for kids & adults.
thank you Barb.
This looks lovely. Seems like a long book for 3-5 year olds but the topic seems right on.
I don’t think it’s too long, there’s enough to intrigue youngsters to keep them engaged