If Animals Said I Love You

If Animals Kissed Good Night

by Ann Whitford Paul, David Walker (Illustrations)

This companion to the successful If Animals Kissed Good Night (over 200,000 copies sold!) imagines how animals would say “I love you.” If animals said “I love you” like we do…how would they say it? Whale would make bubbles shoot from her spout. Boa would give her hatchlings a hug. Gorilla would snuggle his child to sleep. And across the animal kingdom, every creature would show love in a special way. Ann Whitford Paul and David Walker are back with If Animals Said I Love You , a sweet imagining of love in the animal world.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Love, Storytime, Family, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

Published October 17, 2017

About the author

ANN WHITFORD PAUL, author of 'TWAS THE LATE NIGHT OF CHRISTMAS has always been crazy for Christmas, but overwhelmed by it, too. Afterwards she is worn-out and dreams that someone like Mrs. Saint Nick could help her out with the resulting chaos and mess.

Ann graduated from the University of Wisconsin and Columbia University School of Social Work. She became inspired to write picture books after years of bedtime reading to her four children. She's published 19 different award-winning books. Now she gets story ideas from her three grandchildren. For ten years she taught picture book writing through UCLA Extension. She still enjoys teaching how to write picture books. When she isn't writing or teaching, she loves listening to her cat purr, watching spiders spin their webs and following snails' trails.

You can learn more about her, download writing tips and classroom activities, and contact her through her web-site: www.annwhitfordpaul.net

Reviews

[Dez the Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super simple, very cute and low energy. Great bedtime read for little ones.

[Elina Mäkitalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ihan kiva ja ihastuttava kirja, kivat ja värikkäät kuvat plussaa kyllä. Itse tekstiä oli aika vähän. Ei pääse satukirjaksi, mutta arvosanaksi saa ihan hyvän arvioinnin.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute book for bedtime, but I was a little lost by the premise. The book imagines how animals would say I love you if they said I “I love you” like we do, but it comes across a bit like animals don’t love each other instead of showing how animals express love and affection.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is If Animals Said I Love You, written by Ann Whitford Paul and illustrated by David Walker, a sweet board book that imagines the various ways animals express their love.

The third book in their If Animals series, the author-illustrator duo introduces us to a collection of animal families and friends who each have unique ways of showing their love. For instance, the lion cubs love to wrestle with their cousins, the alligator likes to splash his brother with his tail, and a gorilla mommy and her baby – the sole repeating pair of creatures, who provide a framework for the book – pound their chest, give sweet smooches, and snuggle in for bed at the end of the day.

Simple and sweet. The playful rhymes and soft-focus, cuddly animal characters make this a wonderful book to share with even the tiniest of bookworms, as does the brief yet satisfying length. Most of the animals are native to the African continent, with the whale and the alligator being the only exceptions, and are a nice mix of familiar critters, like cheetahs and boas, and more adventurous ones such as secretary birds and impalas. The family relationships mentioned are diverse (cousins, siblings, parents, grandparents, etc.), or wisely left undefined. JJ liked this one, and so did I – it’s a great story to share with a reader who is just starting out. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Lexee Toste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story to read with my young niece. She absolutely adored the story and it was really adorable and cute with the way that it interacts and has the animals saying I love you.

[Eric Herrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

The rhythm, purposeful rhymes, and alliteration must be music to a child's ears! Perfect quiet book before bed. I love the refrain "If animals said 'I love you' like we do" and then followed by imaginations of this in action with purposeful well chosen rhyme and upbeat hard sounds. Creative imaginative onomatopoeic words "whappity-whap...splashity-splish..." and I love the reassuring line "sure of their love..." I imagine the participation of the child doing the actions the animals are doing "squish-hugging squeeze...and the hairy arm wrap..." and it being well loved by both audiences parent and child to enjoy together before bed and read over and over again. This is a book to be read aloud and enjoyed. The round soft lines of the illustrator has nested in quiet smiles on the animal's faces assured of their love for one another. I wonder if these imaginative scenes she has created were also inspired by playing the creative game with her son after weekly trips to the zoo. As in If Animal's Kissed Goodnight.If Animals Kissed Good Night

https://scbwikitetales.wordpress.com/...

[NBPB Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

How would it be if animals expressed love just like humans? How animals like gorillas, whales, boas, lions, secretary birds, cheetahs, alligators, and so on express their love for each other. It discusses many relationships, including mom, brother, cousin, and friends.

We picked this book for its cozy cover. The rhymes and illustrations make it a perfect bedtime read for young children. The book also provides an opportunity to learn about different animals.
If Animals Said I Love You by Ann Whitford Paul is a cozy bedtime read for young children.
Read the full review at Nothing but Picture Books

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In rhyming text, the author describes how animals might express their affection to their offspring. A companion book to If Animals Kissed Good Night, this book is sure to prompt young readers or listeners to make the same gestures as the animals featured here, including a boa constrictor, a gorilla, a cheetah, and an alligator, among others. I'm betting they will also mimic the sounds that accompany some of this showering of affection such as "lick, lick, lick" and "splashity-splish" (unpaged). It's pretty clear that while animals may not be able to SAY they love someone with words, they have plenty of other means of expressing their emotions. Undoubtedly, those three words can make a difference in someone's life as a reminder of how much we matter to others in our lives.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is for sure one book that will make you say "awe", super cute text and illustrations. very fun read.

"what if animals said I love you, like we do? whenever, wherever, however we all long to hear those words."

so true. well said. illustrations are just so cute, what a special read for your loved ones to read, read with your grandkids, your kids or whomever maybe the little ones you take care of. great gift. love it. add it to your giftable gift basket, that would be fun. this is a perfect book through KU, kindle read ...i enjoy the ones you can enlarge ...taking your fingers (not sure why that works for some and not others, this is one who you can do so. very smart there) and enlarging the text and illustrations. what fun. that is a real plus.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

IF ANIMALS SAID I LOVE YOU is a cute book with smiling animals snuggling and strutting and offering treats to show their love. Families who want their animal books both cute AND based in fact will find some of the examples disappointing. For example, the page about whales reads: “Whale would sing it and, from his spout, shoot some heart-shaped bubbles out.” Even so, it's a fun read aloud and the illustrations are very sweet.

Read more on vegbooks dot org.

[A Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

For young readers that love rhymes and animals, this might be a hit. However, there are lots of rhyming animal books out there and I would likely opt for a different one. I would be willing to read this for a child who already knows the book and who is really into it. But, as as adult, this book doesn't hit the mark for me. It doesn't have a lot of substance and it doesn't hit me in the feels.

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars -- Many would say that animals do express love, so the message was a little jumbled. Since the focus is on how animals express love with their special language/abilities, why not just call the books "Animals say I love you?" Cute illustrations and lots of animal sounds/actions to act out.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

👏👏

My children love these little books. They thoroughly enjoy each and every story, as if they are all unique and individual without any cause for similarity among them. Even though sometimes, they might seem tedious and repetitive to me as a parent, I do enjoy being able to read short-stories to my children that are clean and respective.

[Jasmin Weir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, quick bedtime book

This book was a good, simple read for bedtime. The illustrations are well-done and the color palette is soothing. The book has a rhyming pattern so you can read it in a steady cadence which I find good for putting kids to sleep. I have a five year old and seven year old, and both found the book enjoyable in a calming way.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, but really wasn't as good as If Animals Kissed Good Night. The rhymes didn't flow quite as well. We passed it along.

[Candy Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our Daughter loved this for bedtime.

This was a cute bedtime story for Daughter. It was just long enough to hold her attention and she enjoyed doing what the animals did to say I Love You.

[Shakeema D. Funchess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super Cute Concept

Cute concept with wonderful illustrations. Simple enough for younger kids to understand and detailed enough for older children to learn how some animals show love.

[Christian Bulkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the biggest fan of the grammar used in this book. I would prefer if it add "The" before animal names instead of making it sound like it's the only one of that animal. But yeah children's book it ain't that deep cuh blah blah. Just a personal pet peeve.

[MaryLibrarianOH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noises animals make to say I love you.

From advanced reader copy.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A companion to If Animals Kissed Goodnight.

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explores how different animals would say "I Love You."

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute pictures that make you feel all warm and fuzzy. Could work for Baby Storytime.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhyming picture book about baby animals and love - very cute illustrations and good vocab.

[Mrs. Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute read. My son loved making the animal noises and pounding his chest like a gorilla.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute
Pastels as illustrations
Variety of animals
Perfect for families of young children

[Joyce Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the sound words, rhythm, and rhyme of this sweet, loving, classic picture book. Lovely cuddly bedtime reading with your favorite little one.

[Baylee Reagin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s sweet and simple, rhyming, and nice pictures

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars?

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a happy peaceful book. Each page has a peace and a playfulness to it. A beautiful book to read with your child.

[Lara Bate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about animals and how they show love to their babies.