Mr. Valentine’s
Dramatic Birthday
by Ms. Kimms
A heartwarming story of friendship, positivity, and perseverance.
One of the things I love about this story is it demonstrates that no matter how much we make up our minds to have a great day, we will inevitably have negative or disappointing things happen to us.
Mr. Valentine shows the reader how to navigate complex emotions, including being sad at friends but not blaming them or being angry, as well as choosing to celebrate important events in our lives with positivity while wishing others would celebrate with us.
-Reviewed by
Sheena Monnin for Reader’s Favorite
“What else could possibly go wrong?” How often have we said those words and then things go decidedly worse than before? And, yet, we never learn to avoid saying those words when things appear to be going totally awry.
That’s what happened to Mr. Valentine. It’s Valentine’s Day and it’s his birthday. Because his birthday falls on such an important day, Mr. Valentine has never had a real birthday party. He wants one this year; he even sends out invitations to all of his friends, only they all turn him down. Saddened and depressed, he decides to do his regular routine and make the best of yet another un-birthday year. When a five-legged dog chases him from the park, he knows the safest thing for him to do is go home. His dramatic day couldn’t possibly get any worse, could it? Or will it be surprisingly better?
Ms. Kimms’ picture book story, Mr. Valentine’s Dramatic Birthday, is a fun read. Using simple vocabulary and easy sentence structure, this story will be a gem for young readers to improve their reading skills. The colorful illustrations are bold and add another dimension to the story. Young readers will appreciate the heart-shaped body of Mr. Valentine and the unusual characters he encounters, both friends and foes (imagine a five-legged dog). For those who have to share their birthdays with a special holiday like Valentine’s Day, this story will be particularly appealing and will encourage young readers to find alternate ways to make their special day truly special.
-Reviewed by
Emily-Jane Hills Orford
for Readers' Favorite
Mr. Valentine only wanted one thing: his very own birthday party.
His birthday falls on February 14th, which means that he will always have to share it with a holiday. Just once, though, he’d like to have a birthday party with all of his friends for the sole purpose of celebrating his birthday only, and not compete with Valentine’s Day. He decides that this is the year and sends out invitations, only to get a pile of rejections back. Discouraged, he tries to make the best of it by doing all of his favorite things on his birthday, which doesn’t go as planned. Actually, it’s so dramatic that he winds up running for his life. How will this birthday end? Find out in Ms. Kimms’ Mr. Valentine’s Dramatic Birthday.
Mr. Valentine’s Dramatic Birthday is a fun, adventurous tale that shows the value of resilience and fortitude in turning bad circumstances around to create better things. Ms. Kimms creates a wonderful tale that I believe children will enjoy and look back on as they grow up for a powerful lesson in bouncing back from the unexpected, and learning that good things can come, even if the journey is painful and filled with unexpected circumstances. A wonderful book!
-Reviewed by
Sherri Fulmer Moorer
for Readers' Favorite