Love Is Kind by Laura Sassi tells the tale of Little Owl and his determination to buy his Grammy a present for her birthday. But as Little Owl meets all kinds of troubles along the way, he is reminded of what love really looks like. The story has a simple, yet powerful message found in 1 Corinthians 13. In fact, snippets of the Love Chapter can be found hidden in the illustrations — added fun as you and your child look closely to discover truths from God’s word. While Love Is Kind by Laura Sassi is not specifically about autumn, it definitely gives off a fall-vibe in its illustrations. The cute animal characters are decked out in scarves and sweaters and colorful leaves cover the ground. The color palate is warm with oranges, browns, and yellows making this book perfect for a snuggly family read. Recommended!

Recommended.

Audience: children ages 4-8.

(Thanks to Zonderkidz for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

Little Owl sets out to buy his Grammy a box of chocolates for her birthday in this sweet picture-book illustration of the concept of love, as outlined in Corinthians 1:13. At each setback - losing his money, finding money that doesn't belong to him, confronting a friend with three boxes of chocolates - Little Owl is tested, but ends up spreading love. When he relates everything to Grammy, thinking he has disappointed her, she points out that his generous, goodhearted behavior is the best gift of all...

Published by the Grand Rapids-based Zonderkidz, the children's book division of the Christian publisher Zondervan, Love Is Kind is a sweet little animal adventure in its own right, and can be used as a teaching tool by those parents interested in inculcating the vision of love to be found in the famous passage from Corinthians: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud..." Snippets of the Biblical text are included in each scene, which illustrates that aspect of the idea of love being explored. The quotations are taken from the NIrV (New International Reader's Version) translation. Recommended to Christian parents looking for stories about children and their grandparents, and about the concept of love, and how to enact it in the world. ( )