Sweet and surreal, A Stickler Valentine is my third stickler book and its illustrations are my favorite of the series.
—Lane
A KIDS INDIE NEXT LIST PICK 2026
Stickler is excited to celebrate Valentine’s Day with his friends! He knows the perfect gift is a stick, but when he tries to give them out to his friends, no one seems to want them. Stickler realizes that even though sticks are perfect to him, that doesn't mean they're the perfect gift for his friends.
Alice Johansen, An Unlikely Story, Plainville, MA
Smith’s latest in the “A Stickler Story Series” continues to impress with artwork that’s both visually striking and unmistakably his own—cool, textured, and full of character.
School Library Journal
A Stickler Valentine interview on The Picture Book Buzz
Interviews about Stickler’s first book: Stickler Loves the World
The Illustrator Who Revolutionized Children’s Publishing is Doing It Again - Fast Company
Lane Smith Sticks to a Natural Theme -The Daily Heller
Too Fantastical: A Look at Lane Smith’s Imaginary Creatures - Orion
Lane Smith Is Still Thinking Like a Kid - Mahnaz Dar
What Matters to Lane Smith - Debbie Millman
WATCH Doug Salati and Lane talk Hot Dogs and Sticklers at the 2023 Library of Congress National Book Festival
LISTEN to Lane chat with Travis Jonker on THE YARN podcast
LISTEN to Nick Patton talk Stickler at PictureBooking.
