When Love Is More Than Words

The caring acts of loved ones are the focus of this first-person work that models how affection can be relayed by actions. As the title opens, a young narrator notes how, instead of using the “three special words” that others employ, a great-grandmother grows loquats and lima beans so that “her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren/ can have bellies full of her love.” A grandfather showed devotion by planting bright blue irises when the protagonist was born, and the flowers deliver an annual birthday message: “Even though I’m not with you anymore,/ I still love you.” The child’s mama offers others the best parts of a fish (“even if it means she gets the tail”) and cares for elders, actions that lead to younger generations, too, participating. Conveying close-up images of family pairs caring for each other, Kuo’s sharply drawn digital illustrations use a graphic style with flat planes of color to suggest a depth of love expressed. Characters cue as East Asian. Ages 3–7. (Oct.)