Moore, Katrina. Sometimes Love. Illustrated by Joy Hwang Ruiz. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2022. Unpaged. $17.99 978-0-593-32382-3. Grades K-2.

Sometimes an author’s words and illustrator’s drawings blend together perfectly. This is one such time. Moore pens a sentence or two per page, and Ruiz brings the story to life visually. A toddler is introduced by her parents, dark-skinned father and white military mother, to a puppy, and it’s love “at first lick.” Additional pages and pictures show how the girl’s bond with the dog grows through a variety of situations, discipline, compromise, and fun. Then, the parents share sad news with their daughter then lead her away from a Pet Center to a vehicle packed with change, to a place her dog cannot go.  “Sometimes love is letting go.” In her new home, the girl makes new friends, shares memories of her dog, and weathers a year (or two) until her family moves again. Once again at the “Pet Care for Serving Soldiers” center, the girl reunites with her dog in a scene of happiness, “where love has grown” (author’s emphasis). The closing page spread shows more ‘photos’ of the girl growing up with her dog, and a message from the author about helpful organizations such as Dogs on Deployment, which offer military personnel in-home boarding with volunteers until the military commitment is over. 

THOUGHTS: A winning combination of words and illustrations to send the message, “Changes come and changes go. Love through changes makes love grow.”  Highly recommended.

Picture Book          Melissa Scott, Shenango Area SD