Who Will Be My Valentine This Year?

PreS—A large pink hippo asks several neighbors if they would like to be her valentine. In a series of spreads, each animal replies with an excuse that relates how the two are not alike. But in the end, they welcome her to a Valentine's Day party, saying that they were only kidding. "It's fun being different. We all want to be your valentine!" The 12 short exchanges between Hippo and her would-be valentines mention various dissimilarities, but these reasons don't quite make sense. For example, Frog's answer to "Will you be my valentine?" is "No! I use e-mail. You send postcards." Biedrzycki's bright pictures try to add some whimsy to the slight text but also seem to miss the mark. An especially curious illustration is of Hippo, unadorned except for the bow on her head, speaking to a dolphin that is standing in the water wearing a shirt, tie, and vest and carrying a pocket watch. With so many better holiday books available, pass on this one.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT