Author: Emlyn Chand
Publisher: Evolved Publishing
Rating: WORTHY!
Illustrated Noelle Griffin.
Okay, I am wa-ay late posing this review, but you know, I'm not in the least bit sorry, because when I thought about holding this review until next year, it occurred to me that there's something fundamentally wrong with having only one day each year where you express love or friendship for someone.
Why only one day? What's wrong with the other 364? More to the point: other than pure commercialism, why focus so very intently upon that one day when you should be spending every day focused on the one(s) you love with equal intensity?
So forget the flowers and the Valentine card and the chocolates. Get into the habit of doing a little something every day - even if it's only leaving a love note, or more practically, washing up the dirty dishes, or making sure you didn't forget what you were requested to pick up from the store on the way home. And make sure you don't forget why you're with that person in the first place - if you want to be sure you're with them in the second place! Be there for them. Love them! Be ready when you're needed, and not with excuses. Don't let them down. Let them breathe.
And give a thought to the birds this winter time! After all, don't they make life delightful for us the rest of the year? Young Vicky is a love bird who has a tough time when it comes to Valentine’s Day. Her friend has gone off to school, armed with cards for all of her school pals and her teacher, and Vicky is all alone in her cage. She decides to go on a hunt for a valentine friend of her own. Will it be the doll sitting lonely on the bed? Will it be the people on the TV? Will it be the…cat?
I think you know where it's at. With Noelle Griffin's warm illustrations and Emlyn Chand's (I have no idea how that's pronounced. It's not mentioned on her blog. I assume it's like 'Shand') sensitive writing, this is a Valentine for any time of the year. Taking a page from The Wizard of Oz, if you take a moment to think abut it, you'll realize that you have everything you need right in your own back yard!
Note that the illustrations were way small on my smart phone (which has a large screen for a phone) and not adjustable. They were larger on the iPad, but still not full screen, although they were adjustable. I can't speak for how this might look in the print version or in the Adobe Digital Editions version.
