The Shape of Love

In this heartfelt ode to balikbayan boxes, a mom working in Los Angeles packs a large box full of special gifts and household items to send to her family living in the Philippines as a thoughtful act of connection between family.

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.

Carren Jao is an award-winning Chinese Filipina storyteller born and raised in the Philippines. A longtime Angeleno and now a Seattle resident, she wrote The Shape of Love inspired by the distinct smell of freshly opened balikbayan boxes and the happy memories of digging through these cardboard treasure chests. She is fascinated by the common threads between people of different cultures and hopes her stories help paint a clearer, richer picture of Filipino and Chinese culture in children's books. Find her online at carrenjao.com.

Corinne Caro is a concept artist and illustrator based in the Philippines. She is deeply touched by the thought of balikbayan boxes and was always excited to receive goods from relatives who worked abroad when she was a kid. You can visit her online at corinnecaro.com.