Be My Valentine

Rosemary Wells is perhaps best known for her wonderful Max and Ruby books, and she brings the same storytelling talents to the "Yoko and Friends" series. Except for the cover, however, all the illustrations are by John Nez, who draws in Wells' familiar style. However, there are subtle yet noticeable differences between Wells' cover illustration and those done by Nez. There's a sly look in the eyes and some shading and coloring effects that are missing from Nez's work. The animal pictures are simply less compelling and mischievous than what Wells draws. I've read one other book in the series ("Practice Makes Perfect") and preferred it to this one. "Be My Valentine" is not funny in the trademark Wells manner. Often Wells writes about a basically well intentioned but still disruptive animal creates some benign trouble, incurring the anger of those around him. Here, we have a sweet book about two boy and two girl elementary school mice exchanging secret Valentines. The Wells-inspired drawings are nice, the story is pleasant and includes some interesting references to Japanese candy, and all ends well, but there's a lack of humor and invention compared to Wells' other books. Ms. Wells, in a note following the book, introduces the "Yoko" series, and encourages parents to spend time reading with their kids. She notes that "the stories are all drawn from the experiences my children had in school." However, get some of the "Max" and "Ruby" books for a more complete and satisfying Wells experience.