Love is Kind by Laura Sassi: Five Fun Facts and a Giveaway
Love is Kind, the newly released picture book from best-selling author Laura Sassi, tells the endearing tale of Little Owl, who sets out to buy a box of chocolates for his grammy. But what should be a simple task turns out to be a real test of Little Owl’s character, and he discovers, through many set-backs, the real meaning of love.
When I first sat down to read this book, I was in awe of the way Laura skillfully wove the attributes of 1 Corinthians 13 into this little story. It truly is a treasure!
Here’s Laura with Five Fun Facts about writing Love is Kind, ( I love Fun Fact #2!) Be sure to enter the book giveaway at the end of this post, sponsored by Zonderkidz.
FIVE FUN FACTS ABOUT WRITING LOVE IS KIND:
1. This is my first published book NOT told in rhyme.
Readers might pause when they first read this Laura Sassi story because it’s different from the others. And what’s the difference? It’s told in prose! As I always tell new writers – especially those who love rhyme as much as I do – some stories simply aren’t meant to rhyme. The key is to be sensitive to the heart and feel of your story so that you tell it the way it’s meant to be told. Perhaps because of all the ups and downs of Little Owl’s journey and the infusion of scripture snippets into the illustrations, telling THIS story in prose seemed best.
2. Little Owl wasn’t always a Little Owl.
In my earliest imaginings he was a little boy – a specific little boy – my son – who like Little Owl found money – a $5 bill – just blowing in the breeze in our back yard. He was so eager to put it in his piggy bank, but then our young neighbor- who had just run across the yard – came dashing back. “I lost my babysitting money! Have you seen it?” It was hard for him – because he was almost so rich – but he did the right thing and returned the money to her. That little interaction became one of the sparks the led me to write LOVE IS KIND. For a bit, my protagonist was also a hedgehog, but ultimately I settled on an owl – small, wise and cute!
3. 1 Corinthians 13 is a lifelong favorite passage of mine.
It was read at our wedding and my husband’s dear aunt and uncle gave us a framed print of the passage which we have hung in every apartment and house we’ve lived for the past 26 years! The wisdom of I Corinthians 13 has helped me over the years to understand what real love is – patient, kind, slow to anger, truth-loving – a tall order and one not always easy to live by. Once our kids came along, I wondered how I might creatively – through story – show just how varied and wonderful this love is. Making the many facets of love tangible for young kids, then, was another spark that led me to write Little Owl’s story.
4. My heart overflowed with joy and gratitude when I saw the illustrations.
I had seen portfolio samples of illustrator Lison Chaperon’s work early on in the creation process, but it wasn’t until my editor sent me a couple of sample finished interiors this past winter that I got a sense of just how wonderful and whimsical the spreads would be. The world that she created for Little Owl – and even Little Owl himself – are so charming and full of extra little humorous details that truly take my story to a wonderful new level.
5. This story releases in August but it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day too!
I originally envisioned LOVE IS KIND as a Valentine’s Day story with Little Owl hoping to buy his grammy some heart-shaped chocolates. However, the team at Zonderkidz and I agreed that having it be exclusively Valentine’s themed limited its enjoyment year-round. So… with that in mind, I kept the chocolates (yum!) but turned it into a birthday quest instead. Still, with its “Love is kind, love is patient…” theme, it’s a natural for Valentine’s Day. Indeed, I plan on doing a nice round of Valentine’s Day themed readings and school visits come February. And I’ll also be putting together some book-themed Valentine card ideas on my blog… so stay tuned for that.
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Thank you, Laura, for sharing those five fun facts with us! And now for the exciting part… Zonderkidz are offering a giveaway of Love is Kind to one lucky reader! To enter you must be a US resident, age 18 and over, with a US mailing address (not a P.O. Box.) Simply leave a comment right here on this post, telling me who you would share the book with. The winner will be announced in the comments here on Monday 3rd September.
PS…If you share this post on Facebook, just let me know and you’ll be entered twice 
Not sure whether to enter? Just watch this 50 second video.
Glenys