It's Valentine's Day

I Can Read: Level 3

by Jack Prelutsky, Yossi Abolafia (Illustrator)

A collection of Valentine poems including "I Made My Dog a Valentine" and "I Love You More Than Applesauce".

Genres: Poetry, Holiday, Childrens, Humor, Picture Books, Fiction, School

47 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Jack Prelutsky is an American poet. He attended New York public schools, and later the High School of Music and Art and Hunter College. Prelutsky, who has also worked as a busboy, furniture mover, folk singer, and cab driver, claims that he hated poetry in grade school because of the way it was taught. He is the author of more than 30 poetry collections including Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep< and A Pizza the Size of the Sun. He has also compiled countless children's anthologies comprised of poems of others'. Jack Prelutsky was married to Von Tre Venefue, a woman he had met in France. They divorced in 1995, but Jack remarried. He currently lives in Washington state with his wife, Carolyn. He befriended a gay poet named Espiritu Salamanca in 1997 and both now work together in writing poems and stories for children and adults alike.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both appreciation for the one you love and the pain of unfulfilled romantic longing are amplified on and around Valentine's Day, so it's not surprising that this book is more emotionally resonant than Jack Prelutsky's other collections of holiday poetry. If any poet understands the full spectrum of how kids feel about Valentine's Day, it's the great Prelutsky. Fourteen poems of love lost, found, eschewed in horror, and comically realized are the author's gift to kids who want a book that will make them laugh as well as think about the nature of love between friends, family, and even boys and girls. However you feel about love at this moment, there's a poem here that speaks to it, and perhaps can help heal a broken or wounded heart. It's Valentine's Day is more than holiday tie-in merchandise; it's a work of art.

"It's Valentine's Day,
and in the street
there's freezing rain,
and slush, and sleet,
the wind is fierce,
the skies are gray,
I don't think I'll
go out today.

But here inside,
the weather's warm,
there is no trace
of wind or storm,
and you just made
the morning shine—
you said you'd be
my valentine."

—It's Valentine's Day, PP. 7-8

There are editions of this book illustrated by Yossi Abolafia (1983) and Marylin Hafner (2013), but both begin in the same place and follow the same order of poems. Marylin Hafner's drawings for the title poem are more impressive, though both artists do well evoking the feeling of having your affections returned by the one you love. Life is sweet when your feelings align with those of someone you care for deeply, and no dreary weather or any other trifling annoyance can darken your day. "A Valentine for My Teacher" is next, about a boy who goes to great lengths to design a beautiful valentine for his teacher. He's too nervous to hand it to her directly, so he slips it on her desk when she's not looking, eager to see what she thinks of it. The taut jumble of emotions when you shyly admire someone is palpable in this verse, one of the collection's most winsome. Following that is "A Valentine for My Best Friend", and here I have to favor Yossi Abolafia's artwork. The narrative is much easier to comprehend as he illustrates it. In either book this is a fine poem, a laugh-out-loud overture made to a close friend on Valentine's Day. You may exchange playful insults on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean you don't care about each other.

"Our Classroom Has a Mailbox" tells of a girl who wonders if any of the cards stuffed into her classroom's Valentine's box have her name on them. Does anyone care enough to compose a nice message for her? She needn't have worried; her arms end up so full of valentines that she can scarcely hold them all. Doesn't it feel splendid when we're not sure anyone really likes us, but it turns out more people do than we imagined? In "I Made My Dog a Valentine", a boy painstakingly makes attractive cards for his dog, parakeets, and turtle, but they don't seem moved by his sentiments. As he cleans the mess his pets make of the cards, he questions if making valentines for animals is worth the trouble. Ah, isn't that how we feel when we express our feelings to those who don't return them with equal enthusiasm? It can feel as though the energy put into creatively saying we love them went for nought, but I think it's usually worth the effort. They may not show it in the way we wish, but they probably appreciate what we do for them more than they let on.

I like "I Made a Giant Valentine" a lot, and I prefer Yossi Abolafia's illustrations for their subtle emotional energy. A girl made a big, elaborate valentine for a special friend, but that morning all he did was throw snowballs at her. She doesn't intend to give him the valentine anymore, though she used to like him very much. This poem poignantly captures the hurt of having someone we were crazy about let us down, which happens more than once in most close relationships. How do we get over being treated meanly by a person we think the world of? It's a sad situation, the flipside of Valentine's joy. Next up is "Oh No!", illustrated quite differently but equally well by both artists, a humorous ditty about a girl giving a boy an unwanted kiss on the cheek. He needs to wash it off, stat! A kid wants to bake a holiday treat from scratch without any help in "My Special Cake", but somewhere along the way the recipe goes horribly wrong. I like Marylin Hafner's more detailed illustrations for this one.

"There's Someone I Know" returns to Valentine's Day feelings with a girl describing a boy in class who she's annoyed by. But when he presents her with a lovely valentine at recess it melts her heart, though she pretends not to care. Love works in ways so mysterious that we can't always decipher our own emotions, does it not? "Mother's Chocolate Valentine" is a humorous poem interpreted differently but to equal effect by Abolafia and Hafner. A well-meaning boy buys his mother a huge heart-shaped box of chocolates, but can't resist tasting a chocolate or two before showing her the gift. After the first few delectable bites he can't control himself, and the box's contents vanish. His mother appears more amused than disappointed when he sheepishly presents her with the empty box.

"I love you more than applesauce,
than peaches and a plum,
than chocolate hearts and cherry tarts
and berry bubblegum.

I love you more than lemonade
and seven-layer cakes,
than lollipops and candy drops
and thick vanilla shakes.

I love you more than marzipan,
than marmalade on toast,
oh, I love pies of any size,
but I love YOU the most."

—"I Love You More Than Applesauce", PP. 35-37 of It's Valentine's Day

"I Love You More Than Applesauce" is a terrific verse: clever, funny, and touching in its own way. It's the kind of Valentine's Day declaration I wish I'd penned for the one I love. Marylin Hafner's illustrations for it are so charming that I must favor them. Another poignant poem well-disguised with humor is "Jelly Jill Loves Weasel Will", a pleasant parade of preposterous alliteration that sorts out who loves whom among a group of kids. Everyone in their social circle appears to love someone...but who loves the boy narrating the poem? When everyone you know seems to have someone and you don't, you can feel alone even when surrounded by friends. I'll take Yossi Abolafia's artwork this time, since it suggests the boy may not be without a romantic admirer after all. "My Father's Valentine" is the satisfying story of a boy who crafts a valentine for his father, but has trouble cutting out a perfectly shaped heart. The end result isn't what he pictured, but he doesn't think his father will mind. A homemade memento of a loved one's feelings for you only means more when it's obvious they put in lots of extra work making corrections to get it looking halfway decent. It's the time and effort devoted to doing something for you that makes the gift special. "I Only Got One Valentine" is the exclamation point to this collection, just eleven words long. I won't spoil it, but the poem is a welcome comedic finale.

Jack Prelutsky is an American treasure. How many kids would never have given poetry a second look if not for him? His collections short and long tend to be equally good, filled with laughs, deeper meaning, heartfelt emotion, and gorgeous artwork, and It's Valentine's Day is no exception. I'd likely rate it two and a half stars, but definitely round up to three. I wouldn't mind pulling this book from the shelf every Valentine's Day and ruminating over its contents anew, reminding myself of the elation and heartache that define Valentine's in various seasons of a person's life. I have felt both extremes, and those experiences are given voice in this book. I can't think of a much more enjoyable way to spend part of my February 14. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you.

[Ro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

[Eden Silverfox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since today is this Valentines, I decided to borrow this from the library and read it.
I really enjoy Jack Prelutsky's books of poetry; they are quite wonderful and this one is wonderful as well. While this book of poetry is about Valentine's Day, I don't think they are your typical Valentines poems.

There is a poem about a cake gone wrong, a boy buying chocolates for his mom for Valentine's Day and then, eating them all! Giving Valentines to pets and more.

Overall, it's a fun and nice book of poetry for Valentine's Day. For you are looking for love poems, then this isn't the book for you. But if you want to read some poetry for Valentine's Day that is different and fun, I think you will enjoy this book.

[Alexandria K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of Valentine poems. Some of them are really nice and the pictures are cute.

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both appreciation for the one you love and the pain of unfulfilled romantic longing are amplified on and around Valentine's Day, so it's not surprising that this book is more emotionally resonant than Jack Prelutsky's other collections of holiday poetry. If any poet understands the full spectrum of how kids feel about Valentine's Day, it's the great Prelutsky. Fourteen poems of love lost, found, eschewed in horror, and comically realized are the author's gift to kids who want a book that will make them laugh as well as think about the nature of love between friends, family, and even boys and girls. However you feel about love at this moment, there's a poem here that speaks to it, and perhaps can help heal a broken or wounded heart. It's Valentine's Day is more than holiday tie-in merchandise; it's a work of art.

"It's Valentine's Day,
and in the street
there's freezing rain,
and slush, and sleet,
the wind is fierce,
the skies are gray,
I don't think I'll
go out today.

But here inside,
the weather's warm,
there is no trace
of wind or storm,
and you just made
the morning shine—
you said you'd be
my valentine."

—It's Valentine's Day, PP. 6-8

There are editions of this book illustrated by Yossi Abolafia (1983) and Marylin Hafner (2013), but both begin in the same place and follow the same order of poems. Marylin Hafner's drawings for the title poem are more impressive, though both artists do well evoking the feeling of having your affections returned by the one you love. Life is sweet when your feelings align with those of someone you care for deeply, and no dreary weather or any other trifling annoyance can darken your day. A Valentine for My Teacher is next, about a boy who goes to great lengths to design a beautiful valentine for his teacher. He's too nervous to hand it to her directly, so he slips it on her desk when she's not looking, eager to see what she thinks of it. The taut jumble of emotions when you shyly admire someone is palpable in this verse, one of the collection's most winsome. Following that is A Valentine for My Best Friend, and here I have to favor Yossi Abolafia's artwork. The narrative is much easier to comprehend as he illustrates it. In either book this is a fine poem, a laugh-out-loud overture made to a close friend on Valentine's Day. You may exchange playful insults on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean you don't care about each other.

Our Classroom Has a Mailbox tells of a girl who wonders if any of the cards stuffed into her classroom's Valentine's box have her name on them. Does anyone care enough to compose a nice message for her? She needn't have worried; her arms end up so full of valentines that she can scarcely hold them all. Doesn't it feel splendid when we're not sure anyone really likes us, but it turns out more people do than we imagined? In I Made My Dog a Valentine, a boy painstakingly makes attractive cards for his dog, parakeets, and turtle, but they don't seem moved by his sentiments. As he cleans the mess his pets make of the cards, he questions if making valentines for animals is worth the trouble. Ah, isn't that how we feel when we express our feelings to those who don't return them with equal enthusiasm? It can feel as though the energy put into creatively saying we love them went for nought, but I think it's usually worth the effort. They may not show it in the way we wish, but they probably appreciate what we do for them more than they let on.

I like I Made a Giant Valentine a lot, and I prefer Yossi Abolafia's illustrations for their subtle emotional energy. A girl made a big, elaborate valentine for a special friend, but that morning all he did was throw snowballs at her. She doesn't intend to give him the valentine anymore, though she used to like him very much. This poem poignantly captures the hurt of having someone we were crazy about let us down, which happens more than once in most close relationships. How do we get over being treated meanly by a person we think the world of? It's a sad situation, the flipside of Valentine's joy. Next up is Oh No!, illustrated quite differently but equally well by both artists, a humorous ditty about a girl giving a boy an unwanted kiss on the cheek. He needs to wash it off, stat! A kid wants to bake a holiday treat from scratch without any help in My Special Cake, but somewhere along the way the recipe goes horribly wrong. I like Marylin Hafner's more detailed illustrations for this one.

There's Someone I Know returns to Valentine's Day feelings with a girl describing a boy in class who she's annoyed by. But when he presents her with a lovely valentine at recess it melts her heart, though she pretends not to care. Love works in ways so mysterious that we can't always decipher our own emotions, does it not? Mother's Chocolate Valentine is a humorous poem interpreted differently but to equal effect by Abolafia and Hafner. A well-meaning boy buys his mother a huge heart-shaped box of chocolates, but can't resist tasting a chocolate or two before showing her the gift. After the first few delectable bites he can't control himself, and the box's contents vanish. His mother appears more amused than disappointed when he sheepishly presents her with the empty box.

"I love you more than applesauce,
than peaches and a plum,
than chocolate hearts and cherry tarts
and berry bubblegum.

I love you more than lemonade
and seven-layer cakes,
than lollipops and candy drops
and thick vanilla shakes.

I love you more than marzipan,
than marmalade on toast,
oh I love pies of any size,
but I love YOU the most."

—I Love You More Than Applesauce, PP. 36-38 of It's Valentine's Day

I Love You More Than Applesauce is a terrific verse: clever, funny, and touching in its own way. It's the kind of Valentine's Day declaration I wish I'd penned for the one I love. Marylin Hafner's illustrations for it are so charming that I must favor them. Another poignant poem well-disguised with humor is Jelly Jill Loves Weasel Will, a pleasant parade of preposterous alliteration that sorts out who loves whom among a group of kids. Everyone in their social circle appears to love someone...but who loves the boy narrating the poem? When everyone you know seems to have someone and you don't, you can feel alone even when surrounded by friends. I'll take Yossi Abolafia's artwork this time, since it suggests the boy may not be without a romantic admirer after all. My Father's Valentine is the satisfying story of a boy who crafts a valentine for his father, but has trouble cutting out a perfectly shaped heart. The end result isn't what he pictured, but he doesn't think his father will mind. A homemade memento of a loved one's feelings for you only means more when it's obvious they put in lots of extra work making corrections to get it looking halfway decent. It's the time and effort devoted to doing something for you that makes the gift special. I Only Got One Valentine is the exclamation point to this collection, just eleven words long. I won't spoil it, but the poem is a welcome comedic finale.

Jack Prelutsky is an American treasure. How many kids would never have given poetry a second look if not for him? His collections short and long tend to be equally good, filled with laughs, deeper meaning, heartfelt emotion, and gorgeous artwork, and It's Valentine's Day is no exception. I'd likely rate it two and a half stars, but definitely round up to three. I wouldn't mind pulling this book from the shelf every Valentine's Day and ruminating over its contents anew, reminding myself of the elation and heartache that define Valentine's in various seasons of a person's life. I have felt both extremes, and those experiences are given voice in this book. I can't think of a much more enjoyable way to spend part of my February 14. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you.

[Allison Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with short poems all about valentines day. Each poem is only a couple pages long with very few words. This is a good book for early readers. They would be able to easily read this book independently. There are some cute and funny poems that students will get a kick out of. This book is more for kindergarten to second grade.

[Jaden]

Poetry Book

This is a great book filled with tons of great pictures along with great poems to help celebrate Valentine's Day. This would be a great book to read to the class around Valentine's Day. There are a few that will make the students laugh.

[Melissa Namba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not at all what i was expecting but it was a pleasant surprise. This is basically a book of poems. There is a narrative, but it is poems. They are short, cute, and witty and I know my niece will enjoy reading it to her younger siblings.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like that about a third of the poems were on the mean side. I teach my son not to call names, stick out his tongue, be vengeful, etc and 5 of these poems had at least one of those negative traits. It also has very little diversity - so much so that it seemed awkward

[James Greening · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeping with my children's holiday book reading, it is Valentine's Day, and my first read was this amusing poetry book by Jack Prelutsky. Truly laugh out loud funny sometimes, it was a joy to read and brought back great memories from 1983!

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I owned this book as a child, and running across it again was a real treat. I was surprised at how many of the poems I remembered, considering that I probably last read it in second or third grade. Charming, funny, and retro.

[Donna Mork · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable poems for little ears. Very sweet.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found these Valentine poems a bit amusing. My third-grade son did not. They may not be quite as timeless as I thought they were.

[Kate Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun quick 8 min read. Poems to be shared with all ages. Perhaps most enjoyed by 2nd grade and up.

[Anne Wi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a really funny Valentine's Day poetry book for kids. Surely it will bring laughs.

[Trey Auntie Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is *still* one of my favorite books. I love the poems and the illustrations are a mix of sweer, and/or goofy-fun to me.

[haunteddollhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhh Valentines, the days of heartbreak and confusion; friendship and frienemies, loving friends and family.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Prelutsky is a gem.

[Gabriella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a cute little read I read on Valentine’s Day. Cute little illustrations and nice little short poetries to read. It’s been so long since I seen this type of art style so that was nice to see.

[Luci · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun and funny!

[Syntaxx · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute collection of valentine's day themed poems suitable for beginner readers

[Misbah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet little poems about valentines day. Just adore Prelutskys poems and story telling style.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Prelutsky's poems are fun and Marilyn Hafner illustrations make the perfect companion. These might not be the best memorization poems, but they are excellent for budding readers in their independence. I enjoyed It's Valentine's Day nearly as much as It's Christmas!.

As we have started to gather more and more I Can Read, leveled readers I have been anxious to see what I would find in a Level 3 "Reading Alone" with "complex plots for confident readers". My first experience is absolutely a positive one! It's Christmas! is slightly longer than your average 32 page early reader at 47 pages and while it it not exactly a plotted story, this is a book of poetry that is just grand for the new reader. Every few pages has a cute and quaint poem filled with Christmas cheer that is sure to provide a poem for every reader. Using traditions for Christmas, both Santa and Jesus included in various ones as well as baking festivities, snow covered or no sleds involved, city or country and suburb there is a bit of it all.

14 sweet, silly, funny poems for newly independent readers. Text copyright 1983. Ages 4 to 8, Grades K to 3 from Greenwillow Books.

[Trisha Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Valentine's Day is a collection of easy reader poems. I have always found poetry to be beautiful. There are so many different ways a writer can incorporate and use words that pulls the readers somewhere unfamiliar. It can really get the reader thinking as well. Right now in my life I was thinking of starting a poetry notebook just to get into the habit of writing again. However, I have found that poetry can be difficult to begin again if you haven't written in a while. The next best thing I decided to do in order to ease myself back into poetry was to find authors and poems I like and either copy the entire poem or just parts of it into a notebook in order to find some inspiration.

Even though, this is a children's book I did find some inspiration. Even the simplest of poems can be inspiring. I liked the poems that were included into this book. They were cute and real creative. I love Valentine's Day because like the books says in many different ways you can express how much you care for someone by just the littlest gestures.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s Valentine’s Day by Jack Prelutsky and pictures by Yossi Abolafia (1983), is an anthology of his poems about Valentine’s Day. These are simple, funny, easy to read and enjoyable poems for children of all ages, because everyone likes to laugh. The poems are enhanced by drawings, created by ink and water color, on each page throughout the book. Prelutsky creates rhythm in his poem by using word choice and placement to make enjoyable rhymes. These poems are a must-read to teach humorous lessons about giving Valentine’s Day cards or presents to your friends, teacher, mother, father and/or pets or how to handle an awkward situation,
“Oh no!
She kissed me on the cheek,
I’m so mad it’s hard to speak,
That’s a kiss I MUST erase.
Goodbye!
I’m off to wash my face.”

[Bridgette Hossbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book:It's Valentine's Day
Author: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrator: Yossi Abolafia
Pages: 48

This book is a composition of poems about Valentine's day. They are very cute and cover so much about the experience of valentines day. They talk about the anxieties of getting valentines at school, making them (and how hard it make a heart symmetrical), and who to give them to. This book is clever and shows many different aspects about valentines day. This book would be great to read in class for valentines day. I would recommend this book for an elementary classroom. This book would be valuable for many grade levels. The poems are clever and funny.

[Malbadeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Jack Prelutsky, I think his poems are swell. I use them a lot, along with Shel Silverstein's poems when teaching that ever-lovin "Fluency" that's gettin everyone in education all hot and bothered about.
BUT
I REALLY love this book because when my son found it he copied one of the poems on a home made card for a girl he has a crush on wrote, "Your hair looks nice" on the other side and signed it "your secret admirer".
and I think that is so f-ing cute, it makes me almost be in favor of Valentines day. almost.

[Camela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grabbed this book to use in preschool this week. It is probably better for a little older audience. I usually really enjoy Jack Prelutsky, but some of these poems were a little to forced. He's a fun, silly poet for kids.