Love by Matt de la Peña

[A] poetic reckoning of the importance of love in a child’s life…eloquent and moving.” - People

“Everything that can be called love—from shared joy to comfort in the darkness—is gathered in the pages of this reassuring, refreshingly honest picture book.” - The New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice / Staff Picks From the Book Review

From Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long comes a story about the strongest bond there is and the diverse and powerful ways it connects us all.

“In the beginning there is light

and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed

and the sound of their voices is love.

…

A cab driver plays love softly on his radio

while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city

and everything smells new, and it smells like life.”

In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that’s soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age.

Matt de la Peña is the author of Last Stop on Market Street, which won the Newbery Medal and was chosen for a Caldecott Honor. He is also the author the award-winning picture book A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis and six critically acclaimed young adult novels. Matt teaches creative writing and visits schools and colleges throughout the country. Matt lives in Brooklyn, NY. You can visit Matt at mattdelapena.com or on Twitter @mattdelapena

Author Residence: Brooklyn, NY

Loren Long is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Otis series. He's also the illustrator of the #1 New York Times bestseller Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama, as well as the re-illustrated, #1 New York Times bestseller The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. He lives near Cincinnati with his wife, two sons, and two Weimaraners. Visit him online at LorenLong.com or on Twitter @lorenlong.

Illustrator Residence: Madeira, Ohio (a suburb of Cincinnati)