Love book cover
Pre K - 3

Love

By Matt de la Peña

Illustrator: Loren Long

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“[A] poetic reckoning of the importance of love in a child’s life . . . eloquent and moving.”People

“Everything that can be called love — from shared joy to comfort in the darkness — is gathered in the pages of this reassuring, refreshingly honest picture book.”The New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice / Staff Picks From the Book Review

“Lyrical and sensitive, ‘Love’ is the sort of book likely to leave readers of all ages a little tremulous, and brimming with feeling.”—The Wall Street Journal

From Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long comes a story about the strongest bond there is and the diverse and powerful ways it connects us all.

“In the beginning there is light
and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed
and the sound of their voices is love.

A cab driver plays love softly on his radio
while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city
and everything smells new, and it smells like life.”

In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that’s soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age.

Educator Resources

State Awards

Recommended reading lists from your state's teacher or librarian associations!
  • Colorado
    • Colorado Children's Book Award, 2019
  • Georgia
    • Georgia Children's Picture Book Award, 2019-2020
  • Kansas
    • Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award, 2019
  • Iowa
    • Goldfinch Book Award, 2019-2020
  • Michigan
    • Great Lakes, Great Books, 2019-2020
  • Texas
    • Great Texas Mosquito List, 2019-2020
    • Tejas Star Reading List, 2019-2020
  • Illinois
    • Great Lakes, Great Reads, 2018
  • North Carolina
    • North Caroline Picture Book Award, 2018-2019
  • Ohio
    • Choose to Read Ohio, 2021-2022
  • New York
    • 3 Apples 2020-2021

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