Catching Kisses

Me + this book = love at first sight!

Let me explain: 9 months ago, I became a grandma for the very first time and that girl is the light of my life.

She lives over 2,000 miles away and I only get to see her every few months, so I am grateful for technology. I send her little videos of me telling her that Grandma loves her, we FaceTime, and thanks to Amazon Prime, I started Grandma's Book of the Month Club and she gets a couple new books every month, which she promptly either chews or "reads," depending on her current mood.

Last night, her thoughtful mama sent me a little video of sweet, 9 months old Miss B waving and blowing a kiss. Oh, my heart!

So when I picked this book up at my community library this morning, I instantly connected with the idea of blown kisses traveling around the world to reach whomever they are meant for, and I could picture that sweet little kiss from my granddaughter flying over the miles, weaving around mountains, through cities, and across the Puget Sound to me.

Sound silly? Well, then, this isn't the book for you. But if you believe in the power of love, if you yearn for loved ones who aren't nearby, this book will touch your heart.

Maria Van Lieshout uses a sparse color pallet via Adobe Illustrator and all of the people appear in silhouette. Her chosen technique is crisp, clean, and keeps the focus squarely on the author's message. I enjoyed seeing Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, and you and your little ones will surely recognize many of the locations as you move through the book.

Author Amy Gibson has captured a simple, powerful idea - that love knows no bounds - and turned it into a heartwarming picture books for ALL ages. Some of my favorite phrases:
"Kisses are powerful. No wall can hold them back. No fence can keep them out." "Like thumbprints and snowflakes, no two are the same." "Everyday, everywhere, kisses are flying. They're invisible, but real as the wind in your face." Pardon me while, I wipe away a tear and blow a kiss to my darling little grandgirl.

Catching Kisses is a great book to read with someone you love for Valentine's Day, but I know I'll be reading it more often than once a year (and guess what's going in Miss B's next GBOTMC package?)!