(Warning: Cheesy Valentine's Day Entry!)"Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Valentine. I have written forty letters, but you've never read a line!"
Such is the unfortunate song of a poor lad who is desperately trying to get a Valentine to his sweetheart who lives across the canyon. He tries snail mail, homing pigeons, smoke signals, Morse code, and other methods of delivering his message, and each time something happens to interfere with the delivery. Meanwhile, Valentine herself is busy with her own plans.
This book is dear to my heart (pun intended) because my husband bought it for me last year for Valentine's day.
I would definitely categorize this book as a Romantic Comedy of Errors for all ages. It's funny, it's sweet, and adults can appreciate it as well (if not more) than children.
Even if you have not taken as drastic measures as the poor chap in this book, you can probably feel some kind of empathy for him if you've ever tried to plan somethings nice for a loved one, and it hasn't turned out exactly the way you planned. The first Valentine's day my husband and I were dating I made him a huge Valentine and left it outside the door of his class so he'd see it when he got out....and he took another door and didn't see it. So then I took it to his next class and he saw me carrying it and ran to give me a hug and the element of surprise was gone. And of course he showed me up anyway with his Valentine to me. *Sigh* Oh well. It's still better than the guy in this book who tries and tries and tries and tries and TRIES to even deliver the Valentine and is unsuccessful. But the message I get from this book, is that it really doesn't matter how elaborate or fancy your expressions of love are, as long as the message gets through.
Yes, it is a cheesy message, but it is nonetheless true.
Sometimes the simplest things speak volumes. Yes, goofy and outlandish expressions of love are always fun, and if you can do them without taking the joy out of it then by all means, have fun with it! As long as the foremost thought in your mind is "What can I do that will tell _______I love them?" (Just remember if you make yourself frustrated and angry in the process, the person in question may not necessarily pick up on the love-vibe!)
Now, since this is a book for kids here are some activity suggestions:
*Discuss the style of poetry in this book and have the kids use this to write their own verse to or version of the song and give it as a Valentine to their parents, grandparents, or siblings.
*Have the kids make an original list of crazy ways to deliver a Valentine, have each child pick one to illustrate, and make a comic book or a mural for the classroom.
*If you're a stay-at-home mom or dad, brainstorm with your kids crazy (but do-able) ways to surprise your spouse with a Valentine when he gets home. When I was little, my mom printed out several sheets of coloring pages that made up a Valentine's message. My siblings and I colored them and then pasted them on the door so it would be the first thing my dad saw when he got home. You could also do this for Grandma, Grandpa, or Aunt Ruth.
*Social Studies connection: Read about the original Valentine!
http://sunniebunniezz.com/holiday/valenday.htm
I would recommend this as an annual read for anybody that can appreciate the comic and the sweet. :-)
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