Kid Konnection: Heart Day Books!

Every weekend, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekly feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you two picture books that are perfect for Valentine's Day!

Summary: A charming, chunky book filled with more than 150 works we love from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The book is divided into different themes for readers to explore, including people, animals, transportation, and places. Accompanying text provides readers with insight into each piece without distracting from the beauty of the work. From paintings to collages to sculptures to photographs, I (Heart) Art helps readers discover the best that the museum has to offer. Among the artists included are Jennifer Bartlett, Romare Bearden, Rosa Bonheur, Canaletto, Mary Cassatt, Marc Chagall, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Hokusai, Winslow Homer, Edmonia Lewis, Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz, and Andy Warhol. -- Abrams Books for Young Readers

I am featuring I (HEART) ART: WORK WE LOVE FROM THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART for Kid Konnection; however, it's truly a "picture" books for kids of all ages. When you first pick up this chunky book, you might think it's a board book for little ones. Not so fast! It's a mini coffee table book full of gorgeous art from The Metropolitan Museum of Art!

I (HEART) ART has eleven chapters (twelve if you include the index) with different art themes. For example, there is a chapter titled I (HEART) Music and another titled I (HEART) Singing and Dancing. Within each chapter, there are gorgeous works of art including paintings, photographs, sculptures, and more. Each page also has accompanying text information about the art such as dates, artists, and titles.

I really (heart) this book... and it makes me want to visit the "Met" the next time I'm in New York and see some of these gorgeous works of art in person!

Summary: How do animals show their love? By touching trunks, beaks, and noses! Toddlers will delight in adorable pairs of fish, ducklings, elephants, and monkeys as they splash, swim, dance, and swing, all while showing affection. Author-illustrator Taro Miura brings a playfulness and verve to this love-affirming board book, which culminates in the ultimate celebration of love: a child embraced by loving parents. -- Chronicle Books

HELLO, LOVE! by Taro Miura is another book to keep in mind as a gift for Valentine's Day. This book is definitely geared towards toddlers, and it features pairs of animals celebrating love. The illustrations are simple, but colorful; and the text is even simpler -- about three words per page. HELLO, LOVE! is super sweet.

What I loved the most about this book is the way the author showed how these animals show affections. For example, fish touch noses, monkeys hold hands, and parents and kids cuddle. I'm telling you... this book is adorable! Highly recommended!

Thanks to the publishers for providing review copies of these picture books.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!