Winner, Lee & Low New Voices Award
The Shape of Love
In Celia's family,
love isn't shaped like a heart.
It is a balikbayan box–a cardboard treasure chest
filled with dreams on the brink of coming true!
Although distance keeps her family apart, Celia stays close to her loved ones by tenderly packing items to send to the Philippines. Each item is carefully chosen and placed in a balikbayan box. The perfect sneakers for her basketball-loving son, the latest book in her daughter's favorite fantasy series, delicious chocolates for her youngest child–treasures for each of them to cherish and enjoy!
Winner of the Lee & Low Books New Voices Award, author Carren Jao celebrates a Filipino tradition that continues to this day. With captivating illustrations by Corinne Caro, THE SHAPE OF LOVE reminds us that love is more than a feeling — it is a powerful promise that endures time and great distances to keep families connected.
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Praise for The Shape of Love
"Heartwarmingly underscores how one family living apart shares and sustains vital bonds."
— Kirkus Reviews ·Full review
"The simple yet beautiful prose and illustrations in Carren Jao's debut picture book combine into a heartwarming story about the love, care, and resilience of Filipino overseas workers and their families. The Shape of Love is the perfect title, as both this picture book and the balikbayan boxes within it act as tangible forms of love and connection. A wonderful read and excellent gift for any picture book lover."
— Mia P. Manansala, award-winning author of the Tita Rosie's Kitchen mysteries and more!
"So tender and full of life, a story of family, distance, and the very Filipino way a simple box can say so much."
— Mae Respicio, award-winning author of The House that Lou Built
"The Shape of Love by Carren Jao shows us that Filipinos have always been at the forefront of reimagining family. This beautifully illustrated book offers an homage to the balikbayan box, that Filipino vessel of care that helps to ensure that love and kinship transcend borders. This piece of art is a celebration not just of Filipino families, but of transnational immigrant families around the world."
— Anthony Christian Ocampo, author, professor, sociologist
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