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Valentine's Day
Discusses the origins, traditions, celebration, and meaning of Valentine's Day
32 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1986
About the author
Gail Gibbons
182 books169 followersFrom gailgibbons.com: I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together. I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.
Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.
Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 24, 2022
So yes, even though I do think that Gail Gibbons tends to for the most part present informative and colourfully illustrated non-fiction picture books for children, I personally have also usually found the combination of her, of Gibbons’ text and images not really ever all that inherently successful, never sufficiently narrationally detailed and far far too often more than somewhat too simplistic (and yes, this even though I do well know and realise that Gail Gibbons generally gears her writing towards younger children, towards the so-called picture book crowd).
But honestly, even though I was therefore (and from the musings presented above) not really expecting all that much from Gail Gibbons’ 1986 Valentine’s Day anyhow, I was still pretty horribly surprised at how massively, how utterly disappointed I have been with and by Valentine’s Day, how much I really do not at all like either Gail Gibbons’ presented text or her accompanying artwork. For both Gibbons’ words and her images, they are in my humble opinion totally and utterly lacking in almost every way, with illustrations that might be bright and colourful but are also ridiculously stagnant, totally emotionless and one-dimensional, not too mention painfully ethnically undiverse, and that textually speaking, Valentine’s Day is in my humble opinion so ridiculously simplistic so as to be almost laughable, and with Gail Gibbons basically rather massively talking down to her young readers or listeners and presenting a narrative, a description of Valentine’s Day which is supposed to be short and concise but indeed is so very tedious and lacking in detail, so woefully uninformative and unimaginative in many if not even in all ways that for a physically very short and simple picture book, reading Valentine’s Day has actually felt more like a very long and dragging chore (and I also think that children listening to having Valentine’s Day being read aloud to them, that they might well have a similar reaction to when I was reading it).
And while Valentine’s Day does conclude with Gail Gibbons showing a nicely rendered and clearly instructed example of how to craft home-made Valentines, the lacking text and for my aesthetics pretty well ugly illustrations, this has made Valentine’s Day both verbally and aesthetically absolutely annoying and frustrating and as such a only a one star book for me and which I would personally also not at all be recommending, since there are far better books on Valentine’s Day out there and available, and indeed, both Gail Gibbons’s writing and her pictures, they are for and to me absolute and total duds.
But honestly, even though I was therefore (and from the musings presented above) not really expecting all that much from Gail Gibbons’ 1986 Valentine’s Day anyhow, I was still pretty horribly surprised at how massively, how utterly disappointed I have been with and by Valentine’s Day, how much I really do not at all like either Gail Gibbons’ presented text or her accompanying artwork. For both Gibbons’ words and her images, they are in my humble opinion totally and utterly lacking in almost every way, with illustrations that might be bright and colourful but are also ridiculously stagnant, totally emotionless and one-dimensional, not too mention painfully ethnically undiverse, and that textually speaking, Valentine’s Day is in my humble opinion so ridiculously simplistic so as to be almost laughable, and with Gail Gibbons basically rather massively talking down to her young readers or listeners and presenting a narrative, a description of Valentine’s Day which is supposed to be short and concise but indeed is so very tedious and lacking in detail, so woefully uninformative and unimaginative in many if not even in all ways that for a physically very short and simple picture book, reading Valentine’s Day has actually felt more like a very long and dragging chore (and I also think that children listening to having Valentine’s Day being read aloud to them, that they might well have a similar reaction to when I was reading it).
And while Valentine’s Day does conclude with Gail Gibbons showing a nicely rendered and clearly instructed example of how to craft home-made Valentines, the lacking text and for my aesthetics pretty well ugly illustrations, this has made Valentine’s Day both verbally and aesthetically absolutely annoying and frustrating and as such a only a one star book for me and which I would personally also not at all be recommending, since there are far better books on Valentine’s Day out there and available, and indeed, both Gail Gibbons’s writing and her pictures, they are for and to me absolute and total duds.
January 4, 2017
This was a great book that really explained what Valentine's Day is. It went through the history and why we do everything that we do when we celebrate that holiday. My students stopped on almost every page to discuss the new information that we learned.
February 10, 2010
Eh. A considerably sanatized version of the origins of Valentine's Day customs, with too much time spent on the obvious basics of making Valentine's cards.
May 8, 2009
My first reaction was that the illustrations and the lack of diversity of the people in the illustrations in this book made it feel extremely dated. I looked again at the inside cover to discover it was published in 2006!! I was not very impressed with the artistic choice nor did I think the content was very well sequenced or explained. The first half was a series of disjointed anecdotes about St. Valentine and ancient Romans. The 2nd half was about how much people like giving and receiving valentines. If a teacher were doing a program about Valentine's Day, I'd think this book would need a lot more supplementary material.
February 23, 2017
A kid friendly, shortened version of Valentine's Day. The book begins by describing the way in which Valentine's day came to be. It goes on to talk about the ways in which we have now come to celebrate this holiday of love and friendship. This book provides a simple explanation of the holiday to children while providing bright and colorful illustrations to go along with the text. This would be a good book to introduce to a class around the holidays so that they have an obtainable understanding of Valentine's Day.
February 13, 2013
Holy cow this is SO BAD!
February 2, 2021
Having read a few picture books on Valentine's Day, I found Gail Gibbons' Valentine's Day Is... to be a fun, well-illustrated book that contained information I have not seen in other books on the holiday.
Each page is set up with the phrase: "Valentine's Day Is..." and is finished with things like "candy," "love," or "hearts." The pages then go on to explain very simply and succinctly various traditions and symbols related to Valentine's Day, including Saint Valentine and ancient Roman practices of putting names in an urn and drawing them, similar to today's valentine cards and valentine mailboxes so many kids make.
Those looking for historical information on Saint Valentine will find only a copy of pages on him here, which are very sparse in actual information. At the end of the book there is a great DIY Valentine project that is simple and fun as well.
The illustrations are bright, vibrant, and have a bit of a 1900's throwback vibe in some places that made them especially charming. Kids will love searching the pictures for all the hearts throughout the book and hidden away in each picture in fun ways.
If you're looking for a fun read on Valentine's Day, this is a book that would be a great library checkout, but perhaps not one to purchase.
Each page is set up with the phrase: "Valentine's Day Is..." and is finished with things like "candy," "love," or "hearts." The pages then go on to explain very simply and succinctly various traditions and symbols related to Valentine's Day, including Saint Valentine and ancient Roman practices of putting names in an urn and drawing them, similar to today's valentine cards and valentine mailboxes so many kids make.
Those looking for historical information on Saint Valentine will find only a copy of pages on him here, which are very sparse in actual information. At the end of the book there is a great DIY Valentine project that is simple and fun as well.
The illustrations are bright, vibrant, and have a bit of a 1900's throwback vibe in some places that made them especially charming. Kids will love searching the pictures for all the hearts throughout the book and hidden away in each picture in fun ways.
If you're looking for a fun read on Valentine's Day, this is a book that would be a great library checkout, but perhaps not one to purchase.
January 31, 2025
Trying to hype someone up to make 25 of these...
February 2, 2010
A very red, very colorful book that offers a bit of historical and religious background for this sweet holiday. It provides a modern perspective as well, that allows children to relate to the holiday as they know it - mostly trading cards with classmates in school and making or buying cards. It's a short book and entertaining for young school-age children.
February 14, 2023
She leaves out the entire Christian beginning of the holiday. Valentine married Christians in secret in Rome at a time when it was illegal for Christians to marry; this is therefore a work of fiction.
February 8, 2018
Informative, non-fiction book for kids about where valentine's day and its traditions come from.
January 25, 2019
A nice introduction to Valentine's Day for kids.
February 8, 2021
Super informative and interesting for elementary age readers!
February 15, 2022
Valentine's Day is watching K dramas alone.
August 31, 2011
This book can be used to introduce Valentine's Day on an elementary level. It discusses the history of Valentine's day and symbols. Also the book defines all the symbols and the reason why people give and receive cards. At the end of the book there are also instructions on how to make your own card.
Read
February 20, 2012I believe that this is the perfect book for an elementary school classroom to get excited for Valentine's day! The illustrations are colorful and bright, which will attract all students' attention. Also, the book explains the holiday's traditions and symbols. I believe that this book would be very effective and fun to read this story to a class then follow that with a Valentine's Day activity.
January 29, 2021
I liked the story in that it goes in depth about the history of Valentine's Day, but I felt like it went to much in depth. My kids grew bored through out the book and it couldn't keep their attention. The illustrations in this book are colorful and really neat to look at. I am though iffy on this book and I had a lot of hopes for it. I recommend this for older kids.
February 9, 2011
Not for the very young, this is more of an informative book than an entertaining one. It tells the history, legends, and traditions of Valentine's Day. The illustrations are simple, colorful, and appealing. At the end there are instructions for making a Valentine and a Valentine box.
September 2, 2016
I nice informative but fun history and explanation of Valentine's Day. They actually make some attempts at racial diversity in the kids, which is nice since all the legends seem to originate in European ancestry.
February 11, 2015
Valentine's Day is described to a younger audience in this book.
February 11, 2015
4.5 stars
May 5, 2015
This was a cute book that is great for describing Valentine's Day to younger children.
February 18, 2016
historical
February 10, 2017
Colorful book that introduces readers to Valentine's Day - the history and ways we celebrate it. I like the mix of pen and watercolors for the illustrations - very bright, busy and fun.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews