Deep In My Heart: The Shape of My Heart by Mark Sperring



THIS IS THE SHAPE WE ARE
THE SHAPE OF YOU AND ME.
THIS IS THE SHAPE OF OUR EYES
AND THESE ARE THE SHAPES WE MIGHT SEE.

Mark Sperring’s recent The Shape of My Heart (Bloomsbury, 2012) takes on the complex task of introducing a complex intellectual concept–that of generalization, going from the concrete to the general in recognizing shapes. Not the usual book of shapes like circles and square, this one begins with a particular shape–cup and saucer–and specific story-book shapes such as dragons, clocks, and apples.

The narrative then jumps to a variety of shapes, “things that chirp,” birds which tweet and fly, things that are cold (popsicles), and things that are sweet (strawberries), things that live in the zoo, things that go, and things to hug (teddy bears)!

Author Sperring and illustrator Alys Paterson, who favors strong pastels against a contrasting white ground, also bring the shape concept home–to the shape of a mouth and of eyes themselves, and in a nod to the upcoming Valentine season, the shape ofthe heart.

THIS IS THE SHAPE OF MY HEART--OF THINGS DOWN DEEP INSIDE.