Hello friends and Happy Valentine’s Day! Our book today is How Do You Love?: The Five Ways We Show We Care, written by Kellie Byrnes and illustrated by Melina Ontiveros, a heartwarming and kid-friendly look at love languages.

How do we show the people that we love how we feel about them? Well, there are lots of ways! A comforting hug, a compliment on a new outfit, or a meal made with care. Maybe a surprise zoo trip! Or perhaps even helping someone out when they’re having a rough day. There are lots of ways to show our love for the special people in our lives – and plenty of opportunities to do so.

Wonderful. Taking the popular theory behind “the five love languages” – words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch – Byrnes takes a familiar adult concept and breaks it down into child-friendly language, in a way that encourages young readers to think about how they and the people around them might show love. Byrnes comes up with some great examples of each “language,” then uses an afterward to further explore these concepts in more detail (such as pointing out that physical touch should always be consensual, or quality time allows us to connect emotionally by giving undivided attention). Ontiveros’s cartoon illustrations are bright, colorful, and fit the theme perfectly, but what truly stands out is the diversity of her characters: a myriad of skintones, body types, hair textures, religions, abilities, LGBTQ+ identities, and more are given representation, and never in a way that feels exploitative. The length is perfect for a storytime, and JJ and I truly enjoyed this one from start to finish. This a fantastic way to talk to kids about love and how we can express it, and we highly recommend it – Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)