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Summary
Summary
One wintry day, a postman delivers a mysterious package with a big pink bow to a lonely man named Mr. Hatch.
"Somebody loves you," the note says.
"Somebody loves me!" Mr. Hatch sings as he dusts his living room.
"Somebody loves me!" Mr. Hatch whistles as he does his errands in town.
"But who," Mr. Hatch wonders, "could that somebody be?"
After some time, Mr. Hatch discovers just who his secret admirer is and, in doing so, enjoys the biggest surprise of his life!
Author Notes
Eileen Spinelli was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 16, 1942. After high school, she worked as a waitress at a local diner, a secretary, and answered phones at an airplane factory. She eventually became the author of children's books. Her picture books include Thanksgiving at the Tappletons, Do You have a Hat, While You are Away, When Mama Comes Home Tonight, Wanda's Monster, Here Comes the Year, A Big Boy Now, and Hug a Bug. She is also the author of several short novels including Lizzie Logan Wears Purple Sunglasses, Lizzie Logan Gets Married, and Lizzie Logan, Second Banana. She received the Christopher Award for Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
This warmhearted tale examines the effect that love and tender regard can have on a lackluster existence. Mr. Hatch is a drab, predictable gentleman who leads a painfully ordered and uninteresting life, his dreary routine at the shoelace factory barely broken by the same joyless lunch day after day. One Valentine's Day a giant candy-filled heart is delivered to Mr. Hatch with a note that reads, ``Somebody loves you.'' Just the thought of someone taking an interest in him completely changes the way Mr. Hatch interacts with his neighbors and co-workers. The newly adorable gentleman becomes so much a part of people's lives that when it is disclosed that the heart was delivered by mistake, his friends and neighbors rally around him in a loving demonstration. With its carefully measured pace, Spinelli's gentle prose is perfectly married to Yalowitz's ( Some of My Best Friends Are Monsters ; The Spooky Eerie Night Noise ) contemporary-style colored pencil illustrations, rendered with skill and sensitivity. Even the palette here changes with the story's mood, from dull grays and tans to cheery pinks, oranges and blues. Ages 4-7. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
When a huge valentine filled with candy arrives from a secret admirer, Mr. Hatch, a reclusive bachelor, recognizes that everyone is a potential friend and becomes a changed person. The illustrations, with their stylized, sausage-shaped people and pastel tones, impart subtle nuances of humor that play nicely against the story's exaggerations. From HORN BOOK 1992, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Colorless Mr. Hatch--who works in a shoelace factory and eats a cheese and mustard sandwich for lunch every day with, just occasionally, a prune--is jarred from his reserve by receiving a huge Valentine box of candy with a card that says only, ``Somebody loves you.'' Amazed, he samples it, shares it at work and, buoyed by his friendly reception, sympathetically helps several people out on the way home (e.g., he watches the newspaper stall so that its proprietor can take his cold to the doctor). He's soon baking brownies, hosting a neighborhood picnic, and reading to the local kids. Then the postman arrives with the news that the candy was delivered to the wrong address, putting poor Mr. Hatch into a funk; but his devoted new friends rally round to bring him back into their cheerful society. Told with warmth and a light touch, the story easily transcends its predictability. It's much enhanced by Yalowitz's mellow color- pencil illustrations. His unique elongated characters with their extra-tall heads are at once animated and serene; the smooth clarity of his scenes is enlivened with many amusing details. A charming book with a real plot, its amiable tone beautifully complemented by the intriguing illustrations. (Picture book. 4-8)
Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. Here's a delightful story with messages about love that transcend its picture-book format. Mr. Hatch is a dour sort who sleepwalks through life until one Valentine Day when the postman delivers a huge heart-shaped box of chocolates with a card that says, "Somebody loves you." The gift has a profound effect on the unsociable man; the thought of a secret admirer puts a spring in his step and a smile on his face. He begins chatting up his co-workers and lending a helping hand wherever he can. Months pass, and the secret admirer doesn't surface, but Mr. Hatch barely notices because he's too involved with his new life. However, when the postman shamefacedly admits that he delivered the Valentine to the wrong house, Mr. Hatch goes into a tailspin. Nobody loved him after all. His new friends, who learn the reason for his retreat, take matters into their own hands. In an It's a Wonderful Life ending, the town shows Mr. Hatch just what he means to them. In engaging prose, Spinelli brings some sophisticated concepts down to a child's level, and certainly children will be attracted by Yalowitz' innovative artwork. Soft, textured colors and elongated shapes are uniquely combined to make fresh pictures brimming with feeling. A good discussion piece, and just good storytelling, too. (Reviewed Nov. 15, 1991)0027860159Ilene Cooper
