Klassic Koalas: The Book of Valentines and Other Loves, by Joanne Ehrich; Softbound; 80 pages, 8.5′ x 8.5′; (21.5cm x 21.5cm); February 1, 2009; 978-1441409683, ISBN-10: 1441409688; Color; Retail $24.99; Category: Art Journals. For ages 13+ and adults.   $28.99   Preview images in the made-to-order section.

Artist Querida DiGiovanni comes from a family of artists: her grandfather was a sculptor, her grandmother once his model. Querida finds her grandmother’s old photo album, populated with images of the things she had loved most in life: her sculptor husband, the ocean, and the koala, captured in a series of photographs.Querida, whose name means “beloved” in Spanish, is inspired by the sweet faces of these kindly creatures to turn the treasure into a sketchbook about love, enhanced with quotations, and with letters once written by her admirer, Englishman Rowan Blair, who always signed his correspondences “RB.” The letters detail his many travels abroad, with the desire to reconnect with his dearest.

Worn parchment pages come to life with quotations and captions, didactic sketches containing hidden messages throughout, and the many faces of romance and life itself. The content spans six generations, beginning with daguerreotypes of her great-great-grandparents and concluding with sketches of friends; the overriding message is that love is eternal, transcending race, gender, even the earthly plane and time.

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Leslie Hung, Vancouver: “It is so beautiful! It is fabulous! Quirky, with touches of history and emotional notes and well koalas! So much fun. And it will make a great gift book too. I think I will buy several and give them as gifts to people next year… And I will recommend the Vancouver Public Library to buy some copies too…”

Marlene Satter, New Jersey: “What an extraordinary book! I am thrilled to hear it got out for Valentine’s Day;… because this book is truly amazing; I have never seen anything like it. It’s gorgeous! Compelling, hypnotic, entrancing… I think it’s wonderful.”

Hue Tran, Castro Valley: “A fascinating collection of drawings, quotes and photographs inspired by love and imagination, Klassic Koalas: The Book of Valentines and Other Loves is a jewel. The artwork is full of life, its intensity and vivid movement, so captivating. As each composition unfolds, it tells a story, it pulls me in, makes me think, and fills my mind with wonders. Embraced by the calm energy of loving koalas, it sends out many heartfelt messages with completely unexpected drawings. The book will inspire readers to fantasize and immerse themselves into a world full of possibilities filled with warmth and passion, for years to come.”

Anya Bosina, California: “I enjoyed the book immensely. Intensely personal, visual narrative with beautiful honesty, engaging and provocative letters, and mesmerizing artwork, the book captures our hearts and the minds. I’m already looking forward to the next book.”

Jennifer Kahal, California: “The Valentine book is wonderful. I love how the art drawings were added. Amazing how everything ties all together. It is magnificent!”

Kiran Ramaiah, Artist, Bengalore: “The book is really interesting, very different and I like the overall styling. All the pages look fabulous and are very unique. It is tough to choose which pages are my favorites.”

Jasrene Amaoui, Frankfurt:“In this modern-day world time is money, speed is achievement. The struggle of strive and drive sometimes causes us to drift away from the simple wonderful moments of life. No emails, SMS, and online activity can replace the happiness of taking time out, waiting not to miss and to open a love letter revealing the heart beat of someone from afar you long to see again. Each page of Klassic Koalas: The Book of Valentines and Other Loves stirs emotions of pure love all over again, from the depths of my heart. A wonderful gift.”

Denis Sweeney, San Jose, USA: “Klassic Koalas: The Book of Valentines and Other Loves” captivated me in a similar way the Griffin and Sabine letters books did. As a guy, this feels a bit like reading through a girl’s diary, except this time you know it isn’t forbidden. This book will appeal primarily to a female audience, but it is really well done, with rich visuals and interesting letters and old photographs to peruse. I bet anyone knows a girl or woman for whom this would make a great gift.”

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The Valentines Code is a key to the visual metaphors in Klassic Koalas: A Book of Valentines and Other Loves.

Franke Stallworth, California:“This is a little book with a big punch. Moving and profound in symbolism with a deep wellspring of emotion and amusingly unexpected levels of humour coupled in the lives of two star-crossed lovers. An entertaining read for a warm Summers day or a rainy one near a window on a cold Winters night.”

Read Soul’s Code article likening the author/artist of this book to Alice taking us down the rabbits hole in Klassic Koalas: The Book of Valentines and Other Loves.