How Do You Love? The Five Ways We Show We Care

“Gentle wake-up love.” “Handmade lunch love.” “ ‘I’ll try to eat my veggies...’ love.” Paired with Ontiveros’s realistic cartoon scenes, which emphasize cultural inclusivity, Byrnes cheerfully offers examples of the myriad ways care and kindness can be communicated, seemingly based on the Five Love Languages. In an instance of “ ‘Cool outfit!’ love,” a light-skinned kid in jeans gives a thumbs-up to a brown-skinned child in a headscarf. Elsewhere, a child with vitiligo receives “ ‘Bear hugs are the best!’ love,” and a tan-skinned youth with a prosthetic leg offers “ ‘Want to play fetch?’ love” to a dog. Pedagogical back matter prompts readers to reflect upon how they themselves express affection, stressing that there’s no one right way to convey it and suggesting possible options for those seeking inspiration (caregivers may appreciate the recommendation to pick up toys). Ages 3–5. (Dec.)