For this week’s Flashback Friday, I want to talk about love. Specifically, I want to talk about What Is Love? by Mac Barnett and Carson Ellis. Originally published just last year, What Is Love? feels like a modern classic. Mac Barnett’s engaging text combines perfectly with Carson Ellis’ beautiful illustrations to tell a story about finding love and finding yourself.
Title: What Is Love?
Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Carson Ellis
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Published: December 28, 2021
Format: Picture Book
Our narrator tells the story of his youth, when he asked his grandmother, “What is love?” His grandmother tells him she cannot answer, and so the young boy goes out into the world hoping to find his answers. He travels the world asking everyone “What is love?”, from fishermen to poets. Of course, everyone has their own unique answer to his question. He returns home, now a grown man, to find the answer he looked for in his journey.
What Is Love? is perfect for anyone looking for a read aloud book because adults will enjoy it just as much as the little ones. You can find your copy wherever books are sold, including Bookshop and Amazon. (Please note: Some links provided are affiliate links. Affiliate links allow me to receive a small commission for recommendations at no cost to you. This commission is used to maintain this site and to continue bringing content to you. I always appreciate your support!)
Thank you so much to Chronicle books for sharing this gorgeous book with me! I can’t wait to read this one to my little one.
About the Author:
Mac Barnett is the New York Times bestselling author of over 20 books for children, including Extra Yarn and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, both winners of a Caldecott Honor and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award. His picture books Leo: A Ghost Story and The Skunk were named two of the Ten Best Illustrated Books of 2015 by the New York Times. He lives in Oakland. You can visit him at http://www.macbarnett.com.
About the Illustrator:
Carson Ellis is the author and illustrator of the bestselling picture books Home and Du Iz Tak? and has illustrated countless books for children. She lives on a farm in Oregon with her husband, two sons, and numerous animals.
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