Horn Book Review
In Friend, on the first day of school, Jim watches silently for a time, then joins in, and discovers a shared interest with a classmate. In Valentine, George cries in the cloakroom after receiving fewer cards than other children--but his friends rally to comfort him. Both books are newly illustrated with Himler's soft, gentle watercolor and pencil drawings. [Review covers these titles: Bee My Valentine and Will I Have a Friend?] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Valentine's Day, the stickiest of holidays in all sorts of ways--suitably depicted in Hoban's cupcake-frosting colors, and recognized as such by Cohen's first grade teacher who stipulates in advance that ""Everybody must send a card to everybody else. Then nobody will be sad."" But it doesn't work out that way: Jim, who loves those corny dime store cards that say ""Police be mine"" or ""Bee my Honey,"" sends two to Paul; Danny sends 13 cards to himself; and Anna Maria keeps one of hers ""because it was too cute to send."" Which leaves George, who ""didn't get enough,"" crying in the coatroom. But Jim, with his harmonica, turns the occasion into a stomping, gala concert in honor of George--who gets the bells, his favorite instrument, and the paper crown when he emerges to join them. Like a good first grade teacher, Hoban faces up to the day's inevitable small heartbreaks and sees to it that everyone goes home happy. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 1-3. Cohen catches all the fun and excitement of a first-grade classroom on Valentine Day in this realistic story; Gail Gibbons' Valentine's Day and Tomie dePaola's Things to Make and Do for Valentine's Day offer background material and helpful activities.