Happy Valentine's Day Dolores by Barbara Samuels

I selected Happy Valentine's Day Dolores by Barbara Samuels because of the recent holiday. I was pleasantly surprised with this book because it was not solely about Valentine's Day. There were a lot of other elements in this book.

Dolores has an older sister, and sometimes Dolores can't help but sneaking into her sister's room and borrowing her things. Well, the week before Valentine's Day, she did just that. She found a beautiful frog necklace that she simply had to borrow and show her friends. She ends up having trouble getting it off, so she decides that is a sign that she must wear it another day. Finally, when she feels bad about stealing her sisters necklace, she realizes she has lost it! Oh no! Quickly, she rushes to replace the necklace at a local store. However, her sister realizes she took it because she found the "lost" necklace. Dolore's sister wanted to give her the necklace for Valentine's Day. Instead of getting mad at her, she smiles. Dolores and her sister both have a frog necklace now.

I really liked how the author showed the relationship between Dolores and her sister. Also, the plot is very plausible. As a younger sister, I would often try to "borrow" my sister's things without her noticing. However, she usually found out. This helped me relate to the book. Although this book revolved around Valentine's Day, there seemed to be a lot more elements going on.

The illustrations in the book were full of details. The pictures were vibrant and filled with color. I really liked the way the text was laid out. It was not always in the same place, and it was often staggered.

I would recommend this book to others to read around Valentine's Day because it is a seasonal book with a relatable story line. I was pleasantly surprised.