A Book of Loves

3.0

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Author(s)

Cynthia Rylant

Publisher

Beach lane Books

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

January 06, 2026

ISBN

978-1665987943

Buy This Book

Celebrate the small, often overlooked things that cats, dogs, and children love in this sweet and gentle picture book from Newbery Medal winner and author of the Henry and Mudge series, Cynthia Rylant.

Cats love boxes and windows and toys…and other things. Dogs love sticks and biscuits and puddles…and other things. Children love bubbles and cake and stories…and other things. But what do they all love? Love.

Editor review

1 review

A list of things to love

April 10, 2026 (Updated: June 03, 2026)

Overall rating

3.0

Plot

N/A

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

3.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

3.0

This very simple picture books lists items that are loved by cats, dogs, and children. Starting with the question "What do YOU love?", the reader is treated to very simple illustrations on a white background that show items of which the various entities are fond. Cats like boxes, food, windows, and cupboards, among other things. Dogs prefer sticks, couches, puddles, and company. Children tend toward bubbles, rabbits, helicopters, and collections. All of them have one thing in common: they love LOVE.

Good Points

Like Rylant's Cat Heaven and Dog Heaven, this books has her simple illustrations that have a primitive feel to them, but lacks the bright background. Young readers who are just starting to draw by themselves will recognize the iconic form of the sun, the simple dots and slashes that make up faces, and the traditional triangular ears of cats as things they can practice themselves.

This is a short read, so would be a quick bedtime choice, and might lead to conversations about other things that cats, dogs, and children like. Do the readers like helicopters? Are their dogs allowed on couches? Discussions about different preferences could even lead to the creation of picture books detailing the likes and dislikes of readers' particular families.

Cat and dog books are always popular, so add this to your "pet" shelf along with Michelle Sumovich's I Have Three Cats and Morris' Flubby Does Not Like Valentine's Day, and Melling's Ruffles series and Cooper's Yes & No.