Marilyn Singer 
Ways to Say I Love You 

A sweet and lyrical picture book for younger children celebrating all the ways that creatures on our planet say ‘I love you’.



From snuggling garter snakes to big, cozy bear hugs, this book in verse shares how animals we’d expect, and some we wouldn’t, express affection for each other. Each animal interaction is compared with a similar human one, in beautifully blended illustrations composed by the talented Alette Straathof – showing that we are not so different from our animal neighbours.



Find out more about the animals in the back pages and discover how to say ‘I love you’ in different languages. 

About the author

Alette Straathof is an illustrator who lives and works in Paris, France. She graduated in January 2016 at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Alette tries to hide small details in every one of her illustrations for people to discover – see if you can find them all.