“The world is full of little
hearts. Each one a sign of love. Some are found upon the ground. Some are up
above.”
This opening stanza from LITTLE HEARTS by Charles Ghigna sets forth the gentle tone and thoughtful mood for the
delightful story that follows four adorable animal friends in their exploration
of nature. A map on the end paper at the back of the book conveniently maps
their day-long trek through varied environments from Sand Bay to Clover Corner.
The rhyming stanzas invite
readers to join the young adventurers as they attempt to find and identify as
many hearts as possible. And the opportunities are many—from Redbud Hill to
Emma’s orchard, Blue Hills to Swan Lake and a myriad of localities in between.
The pastel water color
illustrations by Jacqueline East are an inspired reflection of the text. Some
of the hearts are clearly evident like the seashells or clouds—perfect for very
young observers to find. Others are subtle—a heart created out the paired
images of a rock and its reflection in a puddle or the tiny wings of bees—to
encourage readers to take their time and truly see all the varied elements on
the page. East’s imaginative eye for shapes found in the variety of nature’s
offerings will have readers discovering new depths with each reading.
The lilting rhythm and melodic
voice of LITTLE HEARTS makes for easy listening and enhances its appeal as a read
aloud story for youngsters from 3-6.
I can easily imagine a story time
followed by a nature walk where the listeners are encouraged to indulge their
curiosity, discover their own “little hearts” and learn to marvel at the
amazing natural world that surrounds us.
As an educator, I can envision a
simple map that we follow and then mark with our various “discoveries” at the
end of our journey.
Highly Recommended for home and
school libraries.
