Jocelyn Chung and Julia Kuo have come together to present a wonderful children’s book about different ways families express their love for each other. In When Love Is More Than Words, a child describes some different ways they know their family loves them. Even though their family expresses love in ways other than the words “I love you,” it doesn’t mean the family members love each other any less. Some ways this family shows their love for each other is in careful ways of preparing food, kind words of encouragement spoken to each other, and teaching each other different skills. The narrator is surrounded by siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Across generations, love is shared in many ways.
When Love Is More Than Words is Jocelyn Chung’s debut picture book. I love that it teaches children how to appreciate different things their family does for them. The book shows compassion and love that spans generations and will help children grow into loving people. I love that Chung writes about love that doesn’t stop when a loved one has passed; in this case, the narrator’s Keyo A-gong (grandpa) planted blue irises to honor the birth of the narrator. Even though their grandpa is not around, his love can still be seen.
Chung’s heartwarming story about familial love is accompanied by illustrations by Julia Kuo. Each page is lovingly crafted with descriptive drawings. The details are perfect, from the curling petals of irises to jars of Tiger Balm. This book celebrates Taiwanese culture with love and dedication and is sure to bring families even closer.
Elinor Serumgard is a poet, artist, and book reviewer from Issaquah, WA. Elinor graduated from Western Washington University in 2022 with a degree in Creative Writing. For more of their work, please see elinorserumgard.com
