I Drew a Heart

by Gillian Sze (Author) Naoko Stoop (Illustrator)

I Drew a Heart
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

The perfect gift book for all of your loved ones! This lyrical, gorgeously illustrated picture book celebrates creativity and a family's love.​

I drew a heart, and another one after...

The hearts filled the pages, spilled over the edges, all these hearts that were in no way the same...

A little boy spends the day drawing hearts--wavy hearts, wiggly hearts, wide hearts and tiny hearts, broken hearts and polka-dotted hearts--and each heart a reminder of a favorite memory: dancing, kite flying, first steps, and more.

This poignant and lyrical book with vibrant illustrations celebrates a multigenerational family, creativity, and love.

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

A tender story that feels like a cozy hug.

Publishers Weekly

A child finds inspiration, encouragement, and an affirming sense of self in their loving Chinese-cued family's interpretations of the child's creations. Whether it's via steam on a bathroom mirror, dumpling dough at the kitchen table, or a pencil and sketchpad en plein air, the protagonist creates all manner of hearts--each of which evokes a special comparative. A wobbly heart resembles dancing hips in a sibling's estimation, and a shape "that looked like a cloud, / a small sack of rain" will, says Ah Ma, "change with the skies." By book's end, the child realizes that all the differing shapes they drew are part of their own heart. Stoop's mixed-media illustrations, including acrylics and gouache on wood, and Sze's gentle words depict the loving details of one family's rhythms in this tender ode to creativity and connection. Ages 4-8. (Dec.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Gillian Sze
Gillian Sze is the author of multiple poetry collections and picture books, including The Night Is Deep and Wide (illustrated by Sue Todd) and My Love for You Is Always (illustrated by Michelle Lee). She has studied creative writing and English literature and received a PhD in études anglaises from Université de Montréal. Gillian lives with her family in Montreal, where she teaches and draws hearts in the margins of her favorite books. She invites you to follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gilliansze or visit her online at gilliansze.com.

Naoko Stoop's love of drawing began when she was a young girl growing up in Japan. She now lives and paints in Brooklyn, New York, using found materials like plywood and brown paper bags as her canvases. The author-illustrator of The World's Loneliest Elephant, the Red Knit Cap Girl books, and Sing with Me! Action Songs Every Child Should Know, Naoko hopes her art will inspire the child within everyone. She invites you to follow her on Instagram @naokostoop and Twitter @naokosstoop or visit her online at redknitcapgirl.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780316349574
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date
December 05, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV011020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Asian American
JUV009060 - Juvenile Fiction | Concepts | Size & Shape
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Families
Love
Chinese Americans

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