Written in a simple and easy to understand style, this exciting, interesting and fact-filled book explains all about Valentine's Day from it's pagan roots in the Roman's celebration of Lupercus and Juno to Pope Gelasius' selection of February 14th to celebrate Saint Valentine. The book explores Valentine traditions in several countries and tells about the time in U.S. history when Valentine's Day was a holiday of dread; the penny dreadfuls. The illustrations that accompany the text are wonderful, especially the ones that reproduce what valentines have looked like over the centuries. This book is full of information and as an adult I learned some things from reading it. It's the most thorough and informative children's book on Valentine's Day that I have ever read and after reading it to the kids I teach, I know that children enjoy reading it, too.

Today is Valentine's Day and this book of that title by Joyce K. Kessel is filled with fascinating information about this popular holiday. Young readers will learn about a Roman holiday for Lupercus, the Roman god who kept sheep safe from wolves, because a holiday for Juno, the goddess of marriage, that was turned by Pope Gelasius into a holiday honoring St. Valentine. Of course, we are not sure which saint named Valentine he had in mind. Kessel tells all about the legends concerning various Valentines, Valentine's Day customs in different countries (snowdrops are good in Denmark, bad in Scotland), and the history of Valentine's Day cards. Young readers will learn more about this holiday than they ever would have imagined. Karen Ritz's pictures not only depict the history and symbols of the holiday, but do a nice job of reproducing Valentine's Day cards from the last couple of centuries. Hopefully, kids will find more of interest here than the "penny dreadfuls" that made Valentine's Day an unpopular holiday for a while after the Civil War. So, if students are researching this holiday, this is a good book to check out.

Just finished reading this book to my children, ages 3 and 9. We have read other books on Valentine's Day, but this one has it all. The history on the origins of Valentine's Day is complete and discusses the mystery without being confusing. We had read about Lupercus before, but not that he was originally petitioned to rid Rome of wolves. The book had me dreamy-eyed imagining Valentine writing love notes on violet leaves, using birds as his delivery service. As a homeschooler, I was thrilled with the tiny lesson that "lace" is Latin for "to catch." As if the stories weren't beautiful enough, the illustrations are gorgeous. They made me want to begin sketching! Charming reproductions of olden-time valentines that had me longing for a Victorian-lace Valentine. I appreciated the book's completely authentic drawing of a third century priest's vestments mirroring our Byzantine priest today. Other books have mentioned a pope, but this book uses his name, Pope Gelasius, and a favorable drawing of him. Just the Valentine's information I was looking for. Young and old would appreciate this book. I am considering it as gift for our godchild. Wonderful!