Valentine’s Day Jitters

K-Gr 2–School teacher Mrs. Hartwell is a bit scatterbrained. She’s trying to plan a Valentine’s Day party for her class, but for once she’d love it to go smoothly instead of ending up as one of her usual disasters. After soliciting suggestions for relevant activities from her students, she prepares for the day. Due to the usual chaos and her overall messiness, the party gets a bit out of control, and the cake reveal is a bust. However, Mrs. Hartwell cannot be sad for too long, as her loving students clean up, salvage the cake, and make a huge Valentine for her, listing all the reasons she is such a wonderful teacher. Love’s illustrations lend a lot to the story, portraying a diverse cast of exuberant students. Pandemonium is always on display, but it is good-natured; this entry in the “Jitters” series reassures that good intentions are always rewarded, and tells a Valentine’s story that is not overly treacly.