Love by Kirrily Lowe

Ill. by Henry Smith. Wombat Books, 2013. ISBN 9781 1 922074 82 9.
(Age: 3+) Picture book. Love. Part of a new series called The Invisible Tree, at first I thought this book to be published in the USA, as the tale is very didactic and obvious in its concern, having the theme of love to extol to the readers. On rereading it and looking more carefully at the illustrations, I did find things to like about the book, and can see that it may have a place in some classrooms where the intention is to be more forthright in teaching virtues.
I love the recycled look of the illustrations, the pages that look like they are made from hand made paper, the scraps used to make up words and images, the cut outs making up the characters, all drew me in to look at them more closely. I like the rhyming nature of the sentences, which will draw in an audience to predict what word will rhyme, and repeat sentences to gather the rhythm. And the list of things which explains what love is all about through the book can be discussed and added to by the audience, particularly in a class where values are a focus. And the last page has a template for using an idea in the classroom to discuss love.
Fran Knight