Valentine's Day Gift Giving Guide -- Gifts for Kids -- The Way I Love You by David Bedfor and Ann James (Book Review)

 

My Little Library
JUVENILE FICTION
24 Pages, 8.5 x 8.5
Formats: Board Book, Trade Paper, Cloth
Cloth, $12.99 (US $12.99) (CA $14.99)
ISBN 9781921541711
Rights: US & CA

Little Hare (Dec 2011)
Little Hare Books 

Summary:

Told through beautifully observed moments between a little girl and her dog, The Way I Love You is a joyous celebration of affection and friendship.

A triumph of simplicity in words and pictures, it is impossible not to be moved by this story about a little girl with a big personality, and her long-suffering, much-loved dog.

My Thoughts:

As many of you know, I am a dog lover -- have been since I was a little girl.  And, once I was out on my own, I began rescuing dogs, to not only give them a second chance at life, but also share in the companionship and unwavering love and devotion that pets give to their owners.  Before our girls came along, my three dogs, Manny, Abby and Lily, were like our children.  We would give them birthday and Christmas gifts, take them on vacation and pamper them to the extreme.  They even found their own spots on our queen sized bed to sleep at night.  Even though we have two girls now, they still are the loves of our lives, but we have had to make adjustments with sleeping arrangements and splurging on new doggie outfits and treats, as we also have two beautiful girls to spoil. :-)

Even though my daughters are too young to understand the bond between a dog and their owner, I hope one day that they will grow up to love dogs just as much as their father and I do.  Right now, we are sharing wonderful books about dogs.  So, when I found out about The Way I Love You, I knew I had to pick up this book and share it with the girls.  I love the illustrations in this book -- they look like colored pencil sketches, portraying a young girl and her best friend.  Savannah kept pointing to the dog and saying "dog," and then pointed are her three little dogs peering up at her.  This book has quickly become a favorite bedtime book, and is a quick read.  Read along as this young children shares with her dog the many ways she loves him, up until they fall asleep together at bedtime.  I love the illustration of them snuggling in bed together.  

If your child loves dogs or is lucky enough to have the companionship of a furry friend, then they will love this book.  I can't wait to see the relationship my girls have with our rescue dogs.  Hopefully, they will become the best of friends!

Disclosure:  I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.