Review: I Love You More Than Chocolate by Melanie Milburn

I Love You More...Than Chocolate

by Melanie Milburn; Illustrated by Cindy Coleman
2010 Instant Publisher
Hardcover Edition; 32 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-60458-720-3
Genre: Children's Picture Book with CD
Source: Review Copy

5 / 5 Stars


Summary
This book was originally a song, and inside the back cover, you have a CD of Melanie singing the song. When Melanie would tuck her children into bed at night, she made sure they knew how much they were loved. She told them she loved them more than anything even chocolate! Her children knew she was a chocoholic, so they had no doubt, they knew they were loved! Every child wants to know they are loved, and this book conveys what parents want their children to know in a way that speaks clearly and impressively to the child's mind and heart.

My Thoughts
I Love You More...Than Chocolate is a sweet and delightful children's book and was a lot of fun to read, even as an adult.  It is the story of a little girl who wants to know how much her mommy loves her as she is tucking her into bed, and the mother sings a song to her about how she loves her more than anything, even chocolate.

One of the most important things I have found with picture books for younger children is the capacity to attract their attention through entertainment as well as interaction with the book.  Ms. Milburn creates a wonderfully colourful book, full of creative designs with bright, interactive pictures that will certainly invite any child to look at the pages.  The backgrounds are a menage of different scrapbook pictures that interact well with the bold images of the pages.  Even after going through it several times, I found new concepts that can be used well as discussion points for any age.  Think colours, numbers, food groups, seasons, etc; the possibilities are endless.

I enjoyed the poetic wording that was used and thought the rhyming would lend itself well to any ear.  As an added bonus, the author being a songwriter, a CD is included with the book; the book itself was originally a song and children can sing along as they look at the book and follow the words.  Even I found myself singing to the catchy tune, and I don't sing in front of anyone.  I just couldn't help myself.  And both of my children wanted to listen to the CD several times (my son is almost 12 and my daughter is 9) and even as I was listening to it again in preparation for this review, they both came running in order to listen to it.

Verdict
I Love You More...Than Chocolate is a heart-warming book that any child will love.  Full of bright, colourful images, and a wonderful rhyming song, children will be drawn to the warmth and sweetness that is evident throughout these pages.  Highly interactive, with a CD to complement the words, children will definitely place this one amongst their favourites on their shelf.