Love Your Heart

In this sweet if excessively earnest down-home tale, country music star McGraw and songwriter Douglas (who collaborated on My Little Girl) return to the subject of the love between a father and a daughter. After Katie spends a day trying out different skills for the upcoming school talent show (she unsuccessfully attempts to do a cartwheel and teach her dog to juggle eggs), Daddy reminds her that "Mom and I are your biggest fans" and advises her to ask for God's help to her find the right talent to showcase. She knows what to do when she discovers that her friend has injured her hand and can't jump rope solo in the show: Katie and (implausibly) her dog take to the stage as rope swingers, helping her friend win the competition. Marble's (My Secret Bully) pictures of the fresh-faced heroine and her devoted, cowboy hat-wearing father are in harmony with the story's feel-good message. Typography of various sizes and colors enlivens the pages, and McGraw's wife, Faith Hill, and their daughters contribute a foreword. Ages 3-8. (Feb.)