All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow!

Fans of Peter H. Reynolds’ work will rejoice in this new collaboration with his son, Henry Rocket Reynolds, as the pair take on the age-old theme of what we want versus what we need. The book follows a make-believe parent/child duo, Poppy and Little One, who set up their life together around the only thing they really need: love. As the fluffy, round and endearing Little One invites other things into their lives (soft pillows, walls, chocolate and a garden, to name a few) Poppy is quick to remind Little One that the only thing they really need is love.

Ultimately, humor saves this title from veering too far into the saccharine. The humor that Little One brings to the discussion of what is essential, as well as the humor of the illustrations themselves, buoy the title. The fluffy cartoon-esque characters, in their candy-coloured and flat world, help readers consider other essential elements of the journey. What about perseverance? Strength? Luck? Without these tongue-in-cheek elements, the book would, for me, fall flat. Absolutely, love and community are essential. Yet, as someone who receives near daily calls from her local food shelf for support, it is hard to ignore that water, walls and food are equally so. Chocolate, I suppose, remains debatable.

Autographed bookplates are available from Reynolds’ online shop (thedotcentral.com), making the book a particularly sweet gift for caregivers, parents or grandparents who will enjoy celebrating the love they share with little ones in their life. Classroom teachers who use All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow might underscore the essentials that Poppy and Little One don’t discuss in the text but do portray in the illustrations.