You are Loved by Liv Downing, illustrated by Mel Matthews

Title: You are Loved

Author: Liv Downing, illustrated by Mel Matthews

Genre: Non-Fiction

Publisher: Allen and Unwin

Published: 5^th October 2022

Format: Board book

Pages: 36

Price: $24.99

Synopsis: A warm and reassuring celebration of unconditional love. Cut outs on each page create a beautiful heart to make this book a very special object to treasure and share.

You are loved when you win the race.
You are loved when you don’t.
You are loved when you brush your teeth.
You are loved when you won’t.

You are loved all the days and nights,
in sunshine and in rain.
And if you forget, put your hand on your heart
and feel the love again.

This beautiful and timely book affirms and reassures children that they are loved, no matter what.

~*~

Lately, there have been many books that revolve around love, affirmation, meditation, and mental health, especially for younger readers who have been just as isolated as everyone has during the past two to three years of the pandemic. The proliferation of these books have similar themes, but are presented in different ways, so that there are different options based on what you or your kids need. In this one, Liv reaffirms that a kid is loved when things go well, when things go right, or when things don’t go right – allowing kids in loving families to be reminded that love isn’t conditional based on behaviour and achievements, and nor should it be – we should be loved for who we are, not what we do or how well we do it.

This book will be useful for some, and for others, it will be a nice reminder of the love they share as a family, and a different way to let your kids know you love them – it is one that I think will also be great to help children with their reading and I love the cut outs that make up the heart that is built throughout the book, as it is a board book aimed at younger children aged between two and six.

This book is simple yet has interesting and complex layers that adult readers and readers over the age of six can appreciate – because no book, that is, no picture book, should ever be restricted to certain ages. Every picture book has something in it that we can all connect with. They bring so many things to life about every aspect of life, and they have a way of connecting with a broad audience. I think we can all learn something about love from this book, and the different ways it manifests itself and the different ways it can be for everyone in the way that works for them. A beautiful board book.