A young girl makes Valentine's Day cards for her parents, grandparents, cat and neighbor in this sweet picture-book from author/illustrator Catherine Stock. Each card has a special crayon drawing on it, from a flower for the girl's mother to a fish for her cat, Muffety. On the card for the little old lady who lives next door, and who looks lonely, the girl draws a rainbow. When the big day itself comes, the girl gets plenty of cards of her own, including one from a 'Secret Valentine...'

One of six picture-books in Stock's The Festive Year collection - of the other five, the only one I have read is Thanksgiving Treat - Secret Valentine pairs a simple but heartwarming story with appealing watercolor illustrations. I appreciated the theme of reaching out to the elderly, who might be lonely at holidays, and enjoyed the conclusion of the tale, in which the identity of the 'Secret Valentine' is hinted at, in the illustrations. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for simple and sweet Valentine's Day stories for children. ( )

From author and illustrator Catherine Stock comes a gentle story of a mother and child making cards to celebrate Valentine's Day. The little girl's mother explains that "...it's a day to tell people that you love them." Together they make paper hearts and decorate the cards. When Valentine's Day arrives the little girl discovers that receiving cards is fun too, especially when one of the cards is a surprise.

The Bottom Line: As part of the The Festive Year collection of holiday stories, this picture book about celebrating Valentine's Day is a winner. Stock's illustrations in watercolors and colored pencils are soft and engaging. With a focus of thinking of others and making cards instead of buying them, this sweet and tender story is perfect for classroom and library storytimes. Highly recommended for little ones ages 3 - 6.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. ( )