Book Talk: Romance is dreamy in ‘I Love You with All of My Hearts’
Editor's Note: In the "Events" section of this article, the location of a book signing by Janice Mitchell has been corrected to Visible Voice Books in Cleveland.
Where is the seat of affection, and who decided that it was the heart? North Canton author Lindsay Bonilla finds that love resides everywhere in her dreamy picture book “I Love You with All of My Hearts.”
What does an elephant have? Enormous ears. In one picture, a fennec fox curls up in the fold of an elephant’s huge ear, under a night sky of twinkling stars with the endearment “I love you with all of my ears.” A jacana wading bird strolls between lotus flowers by stretching out its huge feet: “I love you with all my toes.”
Later, a pair of entwined millipedes love with all of their legs — as many as 750 of them, according to the informative glossary at the end of the book — and two big crocodiles and their baby love with all of their scales.
Finally, the title is explained: The octopus has three hearts, and the parent octopus says “I love you, my child, completely! I love you with all of my hearts. All of me loves all of you — every single part!”
“I Love You with All of My Hearts” (32 pages, hardcover) costs $18.99 from Creative Editions. It is recommended for children 3 or older. The illustrations are by Italian artist Eleonora Pace. Lindsay Bonilla also is the author of the delightful “Polar Bear Island.”
‘There Are Lions in This Book!’
The story of Daniel in the lions’ den is a popular example of faith. Prolific West Salem children’s author Dandi Daley Mackall has updated the story with her entertaining “There Are Lions in This Book!”
The familiar story begins with Daniel, a favorite of King Darius, resented by the king’s devious advisers who didn’t worship God. They were even more outraged when the king made Daniel his chief adviser, and came up with a cunning plan: Persuade the king to pass a law that no one could worship anyone but the king — and the punishment for disobedience is to be thrown into the lions’ den.
At the bottom of each right-hand page, an agitated mouse warns the reader not to proceed further because of the bloodthirsty lions that lurk around the corner. Still, we turn the page, and Daniel prays for salvation. Darius is delighted and the mouse is relieved.
“There Are Lions in This Book!” is a sturdy board book with lively language to appeal to children.
“There Are Lions in This Book! (24 pages, hardcover), recommended for ages 4 to 8, costs $12.99 from B&H Publishing Group. Dandi Daley Mackall has published more than 500 books; “The Silence of Murder” won the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery of 2012. The illustrations are by Italian artist Christian Cornia.
‘Spiros the Soup-Eating Dinosaur’
A bowl of hot chicken soup is good when you have a cold, even if you’re a dinosaur. In “Spiros the Soup-Eating Dinosaur” by Copley resident Mary E. Ciesa, the soup is avgolemono soup, the brew of eggs, lemon and rice that reflects the author’s Greek heritage.
The story takes place in a little village where a mighty sneeze “shook the lemons on the trees and the onions out of the ground.” Little Popi sees Spiros coming from a distance and gives Mrs. Koula, the nurse, the prescription. She sings a song about the ingredients, and they rush off to gather eggs and pick lemons.
All the while Spiros is sneezing and Popi is stirring. Finally the soup is ready and the village can get some peace. An avgolemono recipe is included.
“Spiros the Soup-Eating Dinosaur” (34 pages, softcover) costs $13.99 from online retailers. Mary E. Ciesa attended Firestone High School, earned master’s degrees from Kent State University and works as a nurse practitioner. She also is the author of “Dina Prima the Ballerina.” The illustrations are by Kristina Tartara of Richfield.
Events
Cuyahoga County Public Library (North Royalton branch, 5071 Wallings Road): Scott Longert signs “Victory on Two Fronts: The Cleveland Indians and Baseball through the World War II Era,” 7 to 8 p.m. Monday. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.
Learned Owl Book Shop (204 N. Main St., Hudson): Sportswriter Terry Pluto signs “Vintage Browns: A Warm Look Back at the Cleveland Browns of the 1970s, ‘80s, ‘90s and More,” 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Hudson Library & Historical Society: Tracy Korsen, author of “Cooking with 5 Ingredients from Trader Joe’s,” gives a cooking demonstration and talks about her favorite recipes, in a Zoom event at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Register at hudsonlibrary.org.
Wadsworth Public Library (132 Broad St.): Akron native Tim Carroll discusses “World War II Cartoons of Akron’s Web Brown,” about the work of the Beacon Journal’s political cartoonist from 1934 through 1945, 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday. Register at wadsworthlibrary.com.
Cuyahoga County Public Library: South Euclid author Abby Collette talks about her new cozy mystery “Body and Soul Food” in a Zoom session from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. From 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Anders Morley talks about “This Land of Snow: A Journey Across the North in Winter.” Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.
Cuyahoga County Public Library (Parma-Snow branch, 2121 Snow Road): Bestselling author Jodi Picoult (“My Sister’s Keeper”) talks about her COVID-themed novel “Wish You Were Here,” 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The $25 ticket includes a signed copy of the book. Proof of vaccination and valid ID required to attend. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.
Lions Park Lodge (641 Silver Lake Ave., Cuyahoga Falls): Ken Clarke, author of “Wolves and Flax: The Prior Family in the Cuyahoga Valley Wilderness,” talks about his ancestors, who founded Northampton Township in 1802, at a meeting of the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society, 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Warren-Trumbull County Public Library: Martin Gitlin talks about “The Ultimate Cleveland Indians Time Machine Book” and the team’s new identity as the Guardians, in a Zoom event from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. Register at wtcpl.org.
Stark County Public Library: Marietta chef Sara Bir makes peanut butter buckeyes and talks about her book “Tasting Ohio: Favorite Recipes from the Buckeye State,” in a Zoom event from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Register at starklibrary.org.
Loganberry Books: Mary Roach (“Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers”) joins the Peculiar Book Club in an online discussion of “Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law,” 7 p.m. Thursday. Register at loganberrybooks.com. CONFIRM
Cleveland Public Library: Tiffany D. Jackson reads from her storybook “Santa in the City” in the pop-up Storywalk in Public Square, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.
Visible Voice Books (2258 Professor Ave., Cleveland): Janice Mitchell signs “My Ticket to Ride: How I Ran Away to England to Meet the Beatles and Got Rock and Roll Banned in Cleveland,” 7 p.m. Friday.
Email information about books of local interest, and event notices at least two weeks in advance to BeaconBookTalk@gmail.com and bjnews@thebeaconjournal.com. Barbara McIntyre tweets at @BarbaraMcI.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: ‘I Love You with All of My Hearts’ is picture book for children
