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These books are guaranteed to go straight to your heart! They've been specially selected by Legacy Project Chair Susan V. Bosak.
When people hear the word "love" they often think of romantic love. But there are many kinds of love – love between parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, siblings, and even friends. Young and old sharing a book together is a great way to build a loving connection and explore all the different kinds of love.
Books are also a special, unique way to say "I love you." Picture books often take a message and put it into a beautifully illustrated, powerful yet compact form. Share picture books with young children, teenagers, young adults, and older adults. Give picture books as gifts instead of cards. You can give them to anyone. They are an art form appropriate for all ages. Books are also more lasting than a store-bought greeting card; a card will probably end up in the garbage or stuffed in the back of a drawer, while a book is something you can read over and over again.
Here are 10 books perfect for sharing and giving in any direction – adult to child, child to adult, and adult to adult – that celebrate love in all its forms:
1. Parent & Child: Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram. Every time Little Nutbrown Hare shows Big Nutbrown Hare how much he loves him, Big Nutbrown Hare returns the love even more.
2. Mother & Daughter: My Mama Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray, illustrated by Raul Colon. When a mother and daughter share a close, loving relationship, it carries forward to who the daughter becomes.
3. Father & Son: My Dad by Anthony Browne. An affectionate story about a father who can do anything, from vanquishing bad guys to giving heartfelt hugs.
4. Grandmother & Grandchild: A Little Something by Susan V. Bosak, illustrated by Laurie McGaw. In this moving story of love, a grandmother and granddaughter share special gifts through the years as it becomes clear that one gift – the gift of love – is the most precious of all.
5. Grandfather & Grandchild: Grandfather's Lovesong by Reeve Lindbergh, illustrated by R. Isadora. A poetic description of a grandfather's love for his grandson, using nature metaphors through the seasons.
6. Spouse: The Last Dance by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Debrah Santini. From childhood through old age, Bessie and her husband Ninny express their lasting love for each other by dancing.
7. Sister & Sister: Big Sister and Little Sister by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Martha Alexander. At first, big sister takes care of little sister, but soon they learn how much they need each other.
8. Brother & Sister: Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep by Joyce Dunbar, illustrated by Debi Gliori. A little bunny gets some special reassurance, and a cuddle, from her brother as she falls asleep.
9. Grandfriend & Young Friend: Miz Berlin Walks by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Floyd Cooper. At first, Mary Louise is afraid of old Miz Berlin, until one day she realizes all the wonderful stories the woman has to tell. A tender tale about an intergenerational, interracial friendship.
10. Young & Old: Some Things Go Together by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Ashley Wolff. Couplets throughout this book – "peace with dove, home with love, and you with me" – show that some things truly do go together, and are accompanied by loving portraits of adults and children.
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