• Age: 5 to 8
• Grade: k to 3

This book is not a valentine. It doesn't have lacey edges or sugary hearts. But it is full of lucky rocks, secret hiding spots, and gumball machine treasures. This is a book about waiting in line and wishing for cinnamon buns. About recognizing that if you care so much about someone not thinking you care, maybe you really do. But wait—isn't that exactly what love is about? Maybe this book is sort of a valentine after all. A testament to handmade, wacky, bashful, honest love—sure to win over the hearts of all readers—this offering from debut picture book author Carter Higgins and children's book veteran Lucy Ruth Cummins is the perfect gift to celebrate every relationship, from parent to child, sibling to sibling, partner to partner, crush to crush.

Carter Higgins is the author of many books for young readers, including Everything You Need for a Treehouse, which was an NPR Best Book of the Year, Bikes for Sale, and the chapter book series Audrey L & Audrey W: Best Friends-ish. Circle Under Berry, her first book as both author and illustrator, received two starred reviews. Higgins is a creative storyteller who designs playful experiences around visual literacy and believes the wit of kids’ language is the best poetry of all. She is an Emmy Award–winning visual effects and motion graphics artist and spent a decade as an elementary school librarian. Higgins lives in Las Vegas.

Carter Higgins' profile page

Lucy Ruth Cummins is an author, an illustrator, and art director of children’s books. She has been happily paired with Jean Reidy for Truman, which was named a New York Times Best Children’s Book of 2019, and Sylvie. She also is the author-illustrator of A Hungry Lion, or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals; Stumpkin; and Vampenguin. When she was little, she had a pet spider in the shed where her dad kept the lawnmower. Every day little Lucy caught flies and placed them in her spider’s web at mealtimes. Lucy was born in Montreal, raised in upstate New York, and lives with her little family in Brooklyn, New York.

Lucy Ruth Cummins' profile page

"Heartwarmingly funny." --Entertainment Weekly

"Heartwarmingly funny." --Entertainment Weekly

"Charming."-- Salt Lake City Tribune

"What makes the book so poignant, is that the boy pays real attention to his crush and is doing his best to deliver gifts that will be truly meaningful to her."-Publishers Weekly

"For those who want to show the ones they love they care without being all mushy (or spending any money)"-Kirkus Reviews

"A beautiful celebration of love and how different that may look to others celebrating Valentine's Day." --ReaderTotz

"Charming."-- Salt Lake City Tribune

"For those who want to show the ones they love they care without being all mushy (or spending any money)"-Kirkus Reviews

"Recognizes that you can don't need sugary hearts and mushy sentiment to show you care." --Newsday

"A beautiful celebration of love and how different that may look to others celebrating Valentine's Day." --ReaderTotz

"An enduring message of friendship." -School Library Journal

"Recognizes that you can don't need sugary hearts and mushy sentiment to show you care." --Newsday

"A perfect book for kids who find the whole Valentine's Day holiday icky and overrated."-- Book Riot

"What makes the book so poignant, is that the boy pays real attention to his crush and is doing his best to deliver gifts that will be truly meaningful to her."-Publishers Weekly

"This book swears it's not a Valentine because it trades hearts and flowers for drippy glue, paper planes and the jelly half of a peanut butter sandwich (which makes it that much more special)." -- Today.com

"This book swears it's not a Valentine because it trades hearts and flowers for drippy glue, paper planes and the jelly half of a peanut butter sandwich (which makes it that much more special)." -- Today.com

"An enduring message of friendship." -School Library Journal

"A perfect book for kids who find the whole Valentine's Day holiday icky and overrated."-- Book Riot