#PPBF: My Love for You

Title of Board Book: MY LOVE FOR YOU

Author: Lisa Varchol Perron

Illustrator: Sheryl Murray

Publisher & Year: Little Simon, 2023

Intended Age: Birth – 4 year old

Topic/Themes: Family Bonds, Cycles/Change, Poetry

Opening Page:

Today let’s soak up summertime
before it turns to fall.
Gather sand and pack it tight
to build a castle wall.

Synopsis (from the publisher): “A sandcastle falls with a wave, a seagull swoops down for a precious cracker, a looming thunderstorm means beach time is over, and summer draws to a close. Although most everything changes or comes to an end, a parent’s love never does. It endures and reassures no matter what.”

What I love about this book: This book is so uplifting and true. I immediately sent this book to my daughter-in-law as a Mother’s Day gift. Don’t forget to put this on your list as the perfect gift for a new baby. The repeating refrain, “…except my love for you” really works beautifully across the story. I love that it includes a part where the child breaks a shell but the mother reiterates her unconditional love. I can see this book being pulled from the bookshelf again and again. I appreciate the craft of being able to tell this story in rhyme and build to a satisfying ending.

Activities/Resources:
10 Hands-on Activities to Teach a Child About Love: http://www.momentsaday.com/activities-to-teach-children-about-love/

Before Reading: Show students the cover and title. Ask students to describe what they see on the cover and make predictions about the story. Do a Picture Walk before reading. Look at each page and have students identify emotions by examining facial expressions.

Reading: Consider reading and/or rereading the book on several consecutive days. Invite young readers to move to the rhythm of the story and join in on the repeating refrain and/or the rhyming lines.

10 Hands-on Activities to Teach a Child About Love: http://www.momentsaday.com/activities-to-teach-children-about-love/

Lisa Varchol Perron’s Website: https://lisaperronbooks.com/books/

Writing: Let’s examine the structure of this lovely book:
Linear Narrative Structure
Settings (Place and Time): Beach, Home/ Over the course of a day
Characters: Mother and child
Problem/Resolution: Everything ends except my love for you.
Poetic Structure
10 quatrains.
Each quatrain has an a-b-c-b rhyme scheme
Title is also the last line of the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th quatrain.

Writing Prompt: Write something inspired by your reading of MY LOVE FOR YOU by Lisa Varchol Perron!

(Poem by Mona Voelkel inspired by MY LOVE FOR YOU by Lisa Varchol Perron.)

This review is part of PPBF (Perfect Picture Book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books. Organized and curated by author Susanna Leonard Hill, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF

Thanks for stopping by! Have you read this book? What are you best tips for writing in rhyme? Let me know in the comments.