yet sophisticated.” -Booklist, Starred Review ★ “Perfect.” -School Library Journal, Starred Review
★ “A winning must.” -Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review ★ “Mesmerizing.” -Publishers Weekly, Starred Review where is he going? What does he want?Ī Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of 2021Ī Chicago Public Library, New York Public Library, and Amazon Best Book of 2020 Over the ice, through the water, past Arctic animals and even a human. “Barnett’s knack for both quirky situational humor and heartfelt sentiment work in tandem to create a balanced-while still outrageous-early-chapter-book caper.” - The Horn Book Magazineįollow a magnificent polar bear through a fantastic world of snow and shockingly blue sea. ★ "Barnett and Lowery bring the funny to the serious art of espionage in a perfect interplay of text and illustration.Barnett interweaves tidbits of global history fit for trivia lovers, while Lowery's comic-style images play a key role in the humor.Told with a sense of nostalgia for 1980s history and pop culture, the silliness and originality of this book will hook young readers." - School Library Journal, Starred Review How will he escape? Well it is 1989, and walls do fall down. Floppy disk in hand, our hero finds himself trapped in East Germany, stuck between the wall and the Stasi.
This time, Mac must navigate secret tunnels beneath the Berlin Wall in order to retrieve cheat codes from a Soviet scientist. The Queen of England calls on her trusty spy, Mac B., once again. Wholly lovable.” - The Horn Book Magazine Ellis’s subtle details are gratifying-especially the grandmother’s cozy pink house, the book’s beating heart. his moving, but never cloying, book-a specialty of author Barnett-will have children putting their inferencing skills to work. “aptured in richly colored gouache illustrations by Ellis distinctive hand-lettering. retain her distinctive look throughout-an aesthetic perfectly suited to the tender moment when the boy returns home to the person who answers his question.” - Publishers Weekly
Barnett injects humor by making the book’s hero honest to a fault. “Gouache paintings by Ellis give the story a fairy tale atmosphere, and a sense of theater, too, as rakishly costumed characters pose like actors on a stage. could lead to some interesting discussions about how we all define love.” - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Ellis’ gouache art is familiarly spare yet gemütlich, picking up the text’s folkloric mood as the boy travels. “ some pleasingly humorous touches along the way. Young children and their families will enjoy the blend of silliness and beauty in this memorable depiction of one boy’s quest to learn more about love.” - School Library Journal, Starred Review Together, the narrative and illustrations are well balanced. ★“This poetic story appeals to a wide range of readers. The words and images work together to create layers of thought and understanding, making rewarding to a wide range of readers.” - Booklist, Starred Review Flat gouache paintings provide the perfect ethereal setting for the fairy tale-like story. ★ “Caldecott Honor artist Carson Ellis ( Duz Iz Tak) invitingly renders the child's quest in vibrant, multi-layered spreads of gouache on watercolor paper… Barnett, meanwhile, gently underscores to all readers the familiar, rewarding comforts of true, unconditional love.” - Shelf Awareness, Starred Review ❥ To get the ♥ BUNDLE OF LOVE♥ order from one of these four Indies: ❥ Four enamel pins with art from the book! interviewed Carson and me about our book, and why we made certain choices we did, but it’s really a freewheeling conversation about life and death and picture books. It’s a 32-page book, printed beautifully, with original illustrations by Carson. ❥ A limited edition zine Carson & I made with Jon Klassen, Three Old Friends Who Love Each Other Talk About Picture Books on the Occasion of a Picture Book About Love. Order your copy of What Is Love? by February 14, 2022, from one of the four independent bookstores below, and you’ll get a special ♥ BUNDLE OF LOVE♥ THE ♥BUNDLE OF LOVE♥ SPECIAL PREORDER THING