I Drew a Heart

by Gillian Sze, Naoko Stoop (Illustrator)

Overview

Perfect for Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day

The perfect gift book for all of your loved ones! This lyrical, gorgeously illustrated picture book celebrates creativity and a family's love.​

I drew a heart, and another one after... The hearts filled the pages, spilled over the edges, all these hearts that were in no way the same…

 A little boy spends the day drawing hearts—wavy hearts, wiggly hearts, wide hearts and tiny hearts, broken hearts and polka-dotted hearts—and each heart a reminder of a favorite memory: dancing, kite flying, first steps, and more.

This poignant and lyrical book with vibrant illustrations celebrates a multigenerational family, creativity, and love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316349574
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	12/05/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 11.35(h) x 0.32(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Gillian Sze is the author of multiple poetry collections and picture books, including The Night Is Deep and Wide (illustrated by Sue Todd) and My Love for You Is Always (illustrated by Michelle Lee). She has studied creative writing and English literature and received a PhD in études anglaises from Université de Montréal. Gillian lives with her family in Montreal, where she teaches and draws hearts in the margins of her favorite books. She invites you to follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gilliansze or visit her online at gilliansze.com.
 
Naoko Stoop's love of drawing began when she was a young girl growing up in Japan. She now lives and paints in Brooklyn, New York, using found materials like plywood and brown paper bags as her canvases. The author-illustrator of The World's Loneliest Elephant, the Red Knit Cap Girl books, and Sing with Me! Action Songs Every Child Should Know, Naoko hopes her art will inspire the child within everyone. She invites you to follow her on Instagram @naokostoop and Twitter @naokosstoop or visit her online at redknitcapgirl.com.
 

Editorial Reviews

10/23/2023

A child finds inspiration, encouragement, and an affirming sense of self in their loving Chinese–cued family’s interpretations of the child’s creations. Whether it’s via steam on a bathroom mirror, dumpling dough at the kitchen table, or a pencil and sketchpad en plein air, the protagonist creates all manner of hearts—each of which evokes a special comparative. A wobbly heart resembles dancing hips in a sibling’s estimation, and a shape “that looked like a cloud,/ a small sack of rain” will, says Ah Ma, “change with the skies.” By book’s end, the child realizes that all the differing shapes they drew are part of their own heart. Stoop’s mixed-media illustrations, including acrylics and gouache on wood, and Sze’s gentle words depict the loving details of one family’s rhythms in this tender ode to creativity and connection. Ages 4–8. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

12/15/2023

PreS-Gr 1—A young Asian boy goes through his day drawing hearts. One is on the steamy bathroom mirror. More hearts appear on paper, drawn with pencils, paint, and crayons. One is made of shells and stones at the beach. They are all unique. For each heart, a member of the boy's family comments lovingly on how they interpret it, and each time the boy thinks to himself "a heart that is like mine." By the end of the day, he has drawn hearts for all of the meaningful individuals in his life, including people and pets. Soft colors and attention to details develop a loving extended family surrounded by this boy's heart-shaped view of his world. The story ends with paper lanterns glowing upward in the night sky at the beach. VERDICT A lyrical but realistic story of a boy's gentle day with his family. Themes of family traditions, culture, and acceptance develop as gently as the hearts in a strong story-hour choice for quiet times and reflection.—Elisabeth LeBris

School Library Journal

2023-09-23
A child draws hearts that remind the family of cherished memories.

The young narrator draws a heart on a steam-covered mirror in the bathroom. The child’s sister sits nearby brushing her teeth. Though the heart comes out wobbly, the child’s sister loves it: “That heart is like / our hips when we’re dancing / our hands in the air.” The protagonist spends the rest of the day drawing hearts—a wriggly heart makes the child’s older brother recall “you / when you bounce in your chair / and leap from the steps.” Another heart makes the child’s father think of “a kite caught in a breeze, / a dream that drifts.” The child draws bold polka-dotted hearts, tiny hearts that will bloom like cherry blossoms, hearts that bring to mind rain clouds. Sze’s text is poetic and sweet, with each member of this loving and supportive multigenerational family praising the child’s efforts and creativity. Depicting the textured woodgrain of a wall to sandy beaches, calm shores, and clear blue skies, Stoop’s beautiful, soft illustrations fill the page and bring layers of warmth and texture to the story. Long after sunset, paper lanterns lift into the air, symbolizing heart after heart that the little one has drawn in appreciation for those who fit into “this special heart that is mine.” Characters are cued Chinese.

A tender story that feels like a cozy hug. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews