LOVE by Matt de la Pena.  Illus. by Loren Long.  New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2018.  32p. ISBN 978-152474091-7 hc. $17.99    Gr. Pre-4    E PIC

There is no main character.  This story is everyone's story.  It's about love - a universally felt emotion that is expressed in different ways by different people from different cultures.  Some of us associate love with music, food, or nature; some with family and friends.  The author even takes readers through hard times when love is elusive.  All readers will relate to one or more of the situations.  Add Long's vibrant and textured illustrations for a total reading experience.  On the second-to-last page of the book, people are shown boarding a train for places unknown, accompanied by the love of those left behind.  What reader could feel sad when the bright raindrop-covered umbrellas make our eyes dance and our lips smile?  Readers will "love" this book.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI