What is love?

Katie Daynes

Daniel Sosa

Usborne, 2023

12pp., board book, RRP $A19.99

9781803701943

There are so many books written for our youngest readers to help them to explore their emotions, understand that these are natural and experienced at certain times by everyone.  But generally, they focus on “negative” feelings like anger and frustration and sadness so it is pleasant to discover one that focuses on love and all it facets and ways it can be expressed. 

Over a century ago, Elizabeth Barrett Browning asked, in Sonnet 43, How do I love thee? Let me count the ways and while this little book might not be as erudite as that, for its intended audience it is perfect as they can lift the flaps and explore what it means to love and be loved, from cleaning out your hamster’s cage and forgiving your brother to Dad making you your favourite sandwiches, even that sometimes it means saying or being told “no.” There is so much more to the emotion than that romantic love that seems to be life’s goal and so using everyday, relatable situations young children can begin to understand different kinds of love and to think up their own examples.