Bobby and the Big Valentine

Can a Valentine’s Day gesture be too big? The answer is a resounding “nope” in Woitas’s sweet picture book debut, a realistic chronicle about a boy who pulls out all the stops to fit his humongous feelings into a glittery heart-shaped Valentine. Bobby, portrayed with pale skin and large blue glasses, wants to be sure that Eddie, shown with brown skin and a backward ball cap, knows how special Bobby thinks he is. After the two dress as a prince and night for Halloween, Bobby hopes that they’ll “grow up and live in a castle and be a prince and knight for real one day.” Only a massive, sparkly, carefully crafted card, whose creation Rivera Sonda illustrates involving common kid art supplies, will convey this sentiment. But when Bobby struggles to lug his creation off the bus and to their classroom, he experiences a twinge of doubt about Eddie’s feelings. This bright story’s appropriately bighearted ending may well have readers confidently grabbing glitter and glue. Background characters are portrayed with various abilities and skin tones. Ages 4–8. (Dec.)