A Book of Loves

Unadorned lists spotlight concepts and things loved by cats, dogs, and human children in an affectionately observant picture book that captures loving’s universality. Split into three parallel sections, narration introduces each subject before playfully defining their everyday comforts and preferences, showcased in spare acrylic vignettes. Depicting feline preoccupations, one scene pictures two pointy ears peeking above a rough-edged brown square (“boxes”), and another shows a kitty visible behind dappled smudges of green and lavender (“lilacs”). A beige pup represents canine fascinations, including lounging on a green sofa (“couches”) and rolling in a blue oval (“puddles”). Humans—portrayed with varied skin tones and the barest of features—appear frequently alongside the animals, and children’s own loves include aircraft (“helicopters”) and walking at the beach (“collections”). Smudgy, thickly colored artwork has an approachable, naïve quality that suits the text’s minimalism as it builds to the repeated observation that creatures also share love for experiencing love. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)