Mirabel's Missing Valentines by Janet Lawler and Olivia Chin Mueller and a Fiona Friday pic

Mirabel was very shy,

She'd always been that way. 

She trembled at the thought of 

giving valentines away. 

Mirabel is nervous about exchanging valentines with her classmates, but in spite of her nerves she puts her heart and soul into creating beautiful cards with a heart on each one. The next day, she goes to school. As she's walking, she is totally unaware that her bag is open and the valentines are dropping out of her bag, one by one.

As each valentine falls, an adult working or walking nearby finds them and each person feels uplifted by the sentiment. But, then Mirabel realizes her bag has gotten lighter and when she discovers that the valentines she worked on so hard are gone, she lets out a squeal.

Hearing Mirabel's distress, the people who've found her cards realize that they weren't dropped deliberately for them and they return the cards to Mirabel. She's happy to find that -- even though they didn't get to keep them -- her cards have brightened up the day for a number of people. And, she's made a few friends in the process.

The gratitude of her new friends gives Mirabel courage and she is no longer nervous about the valentine exchange. At the end of the day, she heads home but doesn't realize that the adults who picked up her cards are quietly each slipping a card into her bag. When she gets home, she has a treasure trove of cards.

Highly recommended - Mirabel's Missing Valentines is a sweet, uplifting book about how little things like a pretty card can make a person's day brighter. It's also about summoning the courage and creativity to do something, in spite of nerves, and how it can turn out just fine in the end. One of three books sent to me together by Sterling Children's Books, Mirabel's Missing Valentines was my favorite of the bunch because it's lighthearted and sweet. It's a seasonal book but unlike some that I've reviewed over the years, I don't feel like this one needs to be reserved for the season. It isn't just about  one particular day; it's about friendship and brightening someone else's day, gathering up the strength to do something you're afraid of and going for it -- both themes that work year-round.

My thanks to Sterling Children's Books for the copy of Mirabel's Missing Valentines!

And, a belated Fiona Friday pic because I just couldn't get myself to sit down at the computer, yesterday. This is Isabel looking up at me as I walked in the front door. Every time I go outside, the cats come running to see if I've brought them any grass to munch on. Unfortunately, it's not growing (although the weeds are doing terrific) so I have to hold up my hands to show them there's no grass in them every time I walk in the door. Hopefully, they'll be satisfied soon.

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