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Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch - P
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Eileen Spinelli
Illustrated by Paul Yalowitz
WATCH VIDEO WITH EILEEN & JERRY SPINELLI
This book received the honor of being the most frequently suggested by our customers, at one time. I think I even got two photocopies of the entire book in the mail from serious fans. It won my heart and I think it will hold a special place in yours, too.
Mr. Hatch is a lonesome soul. Retiring yet kindly, his unexciting existence is about as bland as it gets. No circle of friends embraces him, and vice versa. But that Valentine's Day when the postman delivers a big package with a note saying, "Somebody loves you," things change forever.
Awestruck that someone actually noticed him enough to love him, for heaven's sake, Mr. Hatch lets down his shy defenses and opens up to everyone around him, because anybody could be the mysterious source of that package. Touched by the wonderful spell of feeling loved, he smiles for the first time the townspeople can remember and shares the big box of candy. He opens up, he feels accepted by people, they respond in kind, and Mr. Hatch acquires a glow to his face thanks to the warm glow in his heart. Life is good, as it is meant to be. We have here all the makings of a "happily ever after" story.
Then the postman returns one day with the ominous news that he had unfortunately misdelivered the "Somebody loves you" package of several weeks ago, and now needs to retrieve whatever is left of it. With an I-knew-this-was-too-good-to-be-true sigh, Mr. Hatch hands over the empty box, apologizing for not having looked at the address label in the first place, to make sure the package was for him. He realizes that "Somebody" didn't love him after all - but another person. Life returns to the ho-hum, day-in day-out existence of pre-package days. Mr. Hatch goes back to being the lonely soul he's always been. (Note the illustrations, which have gone from lifeless color to vibrant and now back to lifeless.)
But the townsfolk have seen his light. They now know how helpful, caring and delightful a feeling-loved Mr. Hatch really is, and they miss him. I can't ruin the ending for you, but it is as it should be: that everyone is worthy of love and feels that love in a way that is tangible.
Don't let this book pass you by. Its stylized, colored-pencil illustrations are just as pleasing to the eye as its message is to the heart. This book transcends its Valentine's Day theme - it's good for any day of the year.
[Video Below]
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(Ages: 4 - 7 years)
#6911 - Paperback Book - 29 pgs
Our price $7.99
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