I Am Love: A Little Book of Peace product reviews

I Am Love: A Little Book of Peace is such a delightful book for preschoolers. There is something for everyone, with a range of different graphic styles to intrigue and attract young readers. The special effects make the pages come to life, from the glow-in-the-dark owl to the realistic "water" to the reflective glitter on the butterfly wings. There is a tactile as well as a visual element to these enhanced illustrations, with surfaces ranging from glossy to shiny to fuzzy to slightly gritty.

In between these special pages are many other simple, regular graphics depicting creatures of various kinds. The text is minimal, interacting with the illustrations to ensure that the book's message is accessible to children of all ages. It is possible to look at the pictures and unpack them without using the text at all when sharing the story with a very young child, but an older child will appreciate the words too. Miss Three was well able to cope with both words and pictures: as she gets older, she will be able to appreciate the finer messages.

Coping with emotions and not being able to verbalise what is happening is a real issue for young children. Finding personal peace when things are not going as planned, or when there is an upheaval in his or her life, is vital. Looking at the different creatures finding their own ways of empowering themselves helps to acknowledge personal strengths while accepting that things will resolve themselves. Children have little sense of time, so it is important that they learn that most of life's problems are short lived.

It was rewarding for us to see that the book is issued in board book format. It means that it will survive rough handling and be there for Miss Three to revisit as she grows older. When I first saw that it was a board book, I thought it would not be suitable for those who had outgrown the toddler stage, but it is relevant right through to the early primary school years. Good self-esteem is so important for children as they learn to find their place in the world, and what we really liked about this book was the way different creatures identified various strengths they possessed - emphasizing that no two have the same attributes. In other words, be proud of who and what you are because you are an individual. Don't feel you have to emulate anyone else.