This Is Not a Valentine

October 1, 2017
After a small girl gives a boy a valentine, he finds all kinds of ways to show her he cares, but not with a valentine.The white boy, who sports a red superhero cape and square glasses, knows all about real valentines--they have cursive and lace, cooties fall out when you open them, and they're glittery and pink and come with roses or jewels or cavity-causing sugary treats. So he is not giving his friend, a taller, black girl with pigtail puffs over her ears, any of those things. Instead, among other things, she gets a handful of dandelions (some of which he's already used for wishes), a vending-machine ring, his superhero cape, the jelly part of a half of a PB&J he found at the bottom of his lunchbox, a lucky hopscotch rock, and the secret of the second-best hiding spot. Throughout, he proves he is observant about the things she likes. Cummins' white backgrounds keep the focus on the kids' interactions and their droll facial expressions. Her cartoon cast is a diverse one, and refreshingly, this is more about deep friendship than romantic love; her kids are definitely just that: kids. A sort of anti-valentine for those who want to show the ones they love they care without being all mushy (or spending any money). (Picture book. 5-8)

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October 16, 2017
Higgins (A Rambler Steals Home) follows a boy’s unconventional courtship of one of his classmates, presenting her with a few humble gifts that are a far cry from mass-produced, glitter-laden cards. First up is a bunch of dandelions, “and I already blew the wishes/ off most of them,” he admits, “for a rocket ship/ or the last cinnamon bun/ or moon boots and a mega-blaster.” Throughout the school day, the blush on the girl’s cheeks suggests that she appreciates the thought and care behind the gifts. Cummins’s scruffy cartoons are interspersed with still-life portraits that make a plastic ring, paper airplane, and lucky rock feel like treasures. What’s clear, and what makes the book so poignant, is that the boy pays real attention to his crush and is doing his best to deliver gifts that will be truly meaningful to her. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management.

February 1, 2018

Gr 1-3-A little boy in a yellow shirt and glasses likes a girl in his grade school class. He brings her things like gumball machine jewelry that matches her shoelaces and his lucky rock. None of these gestures, among others, are valentines, he insists. After all, he likes this girl not just one day, but all the days. Almost every other page has the text and title of the book, "this is not a valentine," with not underlined. This proclamation is followed by a signal of everyday affection from the boy to the girl. Multimedia illustrations that mimic childlike drawings made with crayons and makers reinforce the grade school setting. As a children's picture book, the tender message of everyday acts of affection, as opposed to grand and less frequent gestures, is quite intellectual. Therefore, this book would make a good book for discussion with older children after it has been shared. VERDICT This enduring message of friendship should give this title a longer and broader shelf life than just another Valentine's Day book.-Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2018
Each time a boy gives his female classmate a gift (dandelions, a rock, etc.), he explains why it isn't to be construed as a valentine (e.g., valentines "come with buckets of roses"). Readers, like the girl, will see right through him and appreciate him all the more for his vulnerability, reinforced in mixed-media illustrations that have the conspicuous non-polish of children's art.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)