Hello, friends! Our book today is I Love You More Than Cereal: Maeva and Dad Redefine Love, written by Justin and Alexis Black and illustrated by 1000 Storybooks, a thought-provoking lesson on how we express love.

Maeva absolutely loves her new purple bicycle, and can’t wait to finish her breakfast and ride it to the park. She excitedly tells her dad how she will make the other kids jealous with it, then refuse to share her candy; she reckons that by making the other kids envious of the things that she loves, she will be even happier with them. Fortunately, her dad patiently sets her straight, explaining that love is not just something we feel, but how we treat others and ourselves. He uses examples of their family life to illustrate how love is patient and forgiving, not boastful or exacting. Afterwards, Maeva better understands the importance of unselfish love, and how it is as much as gift to herself as it is to others.

A sweet treat. This indie title does a lot of things right; in particular, the authors’ ability to adopt the biblical I Corinthians 13:1 into secular plain-language that can appeal to readers of any faith. Artwork is occasionally flat, but features a creative use of color and dynamic angles to support the story well. There are a couple of small editing errors, and a troubling lack of emphasis on talking to trusted adults when peers display bullying behavior; Maeva is rather encouraged to show love even when others are not deserving of it, which can be a dangerous lesson if removed from context. Otherwise, the length is good, and JJ enjoyed the story. This could make a great jumping off point to a conversation on empathy, and is worth a look – Baby Bookworm approved.

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