Loved: A Mother's Celebration

By: Raven Howell
Illustrated by: Pamela C. Rice
Publisher: AcuteByDesign Publishing
Publication Date: September 1, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-943515-50-9
Reviewed by: Katie Specht
Review Date: February 23, 2024

From award-winning author and poet Raven Howell comes Loved: A Mother’s Celebration, a story celebrating the love between a parent and a child. This joyful story is brought to life through illustrations by Pamela C. Rice.

Howell writes this story in rhyme, as she explores the meaningful connection between a parent and a child. The story delves into how parents will love their child even when she’s mad, offering hugs to make her feel better, being there to tend to her when she’s sick, holding her, playing together and being silly together, singing and dancing together; and ultimately, always keeping their child close.

A unique aspect of this story is that each page not only offers a beautifully phrased example of how the parent will connect with the child but also relates the action to a different color for each activity. For example, the author references the “brightest orange sunrise blaze,” “blackest cloud,” “purple play,” and “white turtledove.” To align with this color theme, the illustrations also match the descriptions on each page.

Loved: A Mother’s Celebration is the ultimate bedtime snuggle story for parents to share with their young children. This narrative lovingly reflects just some of the ways in which parents are there for their children, regardless of whether they are happy, mad, sick, healthy, playful, or upset. This story also reassures young kids that they can always depend on their parents, no matter the situation or mood they may be in.

The illustrations by Pamela C. Rice complement Howell’s rhyming story perfectly. They depict loving scenes of parents with their children: playing, cuddling, singing, dancing, and hugging, all while incorporating the color scheme mentioned previously on each page within the text.

Quill says: Author Howell and illustrator Rice have come together to create a timeless bedtime story for young readers with Loved: A Mother’s Celebration. It is a beautiful commemoration of the loving relationship that exists between parent and child, which young readers and caregivers alike are sure to appreciate.

For more information on Loved: A Mother's Celebration, please visit the author's website at: ravenhowell.com

Author Interview

Meet the Author