Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch - Book Review

Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch - Book Review Summary of Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, a Valentines Day picture book by Eileen Spinelli, wonderfully illustrates the power of love and friendship. It would make an excellent gift for a young child. The illustrations are by Paul Yalowitz whose whimsical, textured artwork adds greatly to the story of a lonely man whose life is changed by an anonymous gift, a change in attitude and the kindness of others. Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch is a book I recommend for parents to read aloud and talk about with their kids, ages 4-8. Mr. Hatch and His Lonely Life The main character in the picture book is a very lonely man, Mr. Hatch. The story begins with a description of Mr. Hatchs lonely daily life. He lives alone, barely knows or talks to anyone, works all day in a shoelace factory, buys a fresh turkey wing for supper each day, eats, takes a shower, and goes to bed. In his neighborhood and at work people say the same thing about Mr. Hatch, He keeps to himself. Mr. Hatchs loneliness is illustrated with drab colors and by the way in which the artist depicts him: shoulders slumped, head down, manner subdued. A Big Change for Mr. Hatch All of this changes when the postman brings Mr. Hatch a huge, heart-shaped box of chocolates along with a card that says somebody loves you. Mr. Hatch is so happy he does a little dance. Because he thinks he might meet his secret admirer, Mr. Hatch puts on a colorful tie and some old aftershave. He takes the box of chocolates to work to share. He even talks to Mr. Smith at his newspaper stand, notices he looks sick and offers to watch the newsstand while Mr. Smith goes to the doctors office. Mr. Hatch continues to talk to others, to help those in need, and to share with his neighbors. In fact, Mr. Hatch bakes brownies and holds an impromptu picnic for his neighbors at which he plays his old harmonica for them. His neighbors enjoy being with Mr. Hatch and like him very much. The more Mr. Hatch is friendly and kind to his neighbors, the more they reciprocate. When the postman tells Mr. Hatch that the candy had been delivered to his house by mistake and that he doesnt have a secret admirer, Mr. Hatch becomes withdrawn again. The postman tells the neighbors what has happened. The neighbors get together and throw a big surprise party for Mr. Hatch, complete with candy, a new harmonica, and a big sign that said, Everybody loves Mr. Hatch. My Recommendation This is a charming book with a powerful message. The importance of love and kindness comes through loud and clear. Even very young children will understand how good it is to feel loved and how important it is to help others feel loved. While this is an excellent Valentines Day book, the story is one that children will enjoy year-round.(Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1996, Paperback. ISBN: 9780689718724) Other Good Books for Valentines Day One of the childrens books I particularly recommend is the special pop-up gift edition of Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney, with Anita Jerams delightful illustrations and Corina Fletchers well-designed paper engineering. Youll find more books on my annotated list of the Top Childrens Books for Valentines Day, which includes picture books, such as, Queen of Hearts Love, Splat and t, plus the beginning readers Too Many Valentines and Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine.