Valentine’s Day kind of gets a bad rap as a “Hallmark holiday” or “Singles Awareness Day.” Honestly, I did not love this holiday after we stopped handing out valentines and candy in grade school and everyone became obsessed with romantic love.
Today, though, it’s one of my favorite holidays! I hang heart banners in the window and decorate with red and pink, and of course I read lots of books about love (though not romantic love) to my kids. For me, it’s a day to celebrate love for my family and friends.
Here are 10 of my favorite books about love for Valentine’s Day!
Love Monster and the Last Chocolate by Rachel Bright. I saw the original Love Monster book on Instagram and checked it and all the sequels out from the library this week — and I have to say that sometimes the sequel is better than the original. In this one, Love Monster returns from a trip to find a box of chocolates on his doorstep and agonizes whether to share them with his friends (because then he might end up with a yucky coffee chocolate). The ending surprised me and was SO sweet. I’m already planning to buy this one for our collection.
Love Is by Diane Adams. I read this adorable book to my kids a few years ago and immediately bought a copy. It’s that cute. A little girl rescues a duckling who got separated from its family and cares for it at home for a while. In the process, she learns how to feed and bathe and take care of it and then has to return it to the park when it grows too big to keep as a pet anymore. The illustrations are absolutely darling, and I love the message about how love is taking care of others.
Mirabel’s Missing Valentines by Janet Lawler. In this sweet book, a timid mouse named Mirabel makes valentines for all the kids in her class and is anxious about delivering them during the school party. Unfortunately, all of the valentines fall through a hole in her backpack as she walks to school, and other people in town pick them up thinking they’re for them. It’s a fun story about how you can brighten someone else’s day with kind words.
Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli. A lonely man, Mr. Hatch, receives a heart-shaped package filled with candy and tied with a note that says “Somebody loves you!” He has no idea who the package is from, but he starts to be happier just because he knows he has a secret admirer. Of course, there’s a twist and he discovers the mystery behind the package (but it has a happy ending). This is a great one for little kids and helps you have a discussion about how everyone deserves love.
I Heart You by Meg Fleming. I just discovered this book a few weeks ago, and I thought it was appropriate for Valentine’s Day. The rhyming verses talk about different ways to show love (I hide you. / I tease you. / I find you. / I squeeze you.), while the beautiful illustrations show lots of animals with their children. One page finally leads to a little girl and her mother. Little kids will love the rhythm and rhyme and sweet pictures.
Hedgehugs by Steve Wilson. I bought this a few years ago as a gift for a friend who has a pet hedgehog, but then I ended up loving it and buying my own copy. Two hedgehogs, Horace and Hattie, love to play together but have realized that they can’t hug each other because it’s just too poky. As the seasons pass, they try different tactics like covering themselves in leaves to soften their sharp quills, but nothing quite works. The solution they come up with is SO cute. I also like this because I’m trying to teach my kids that not everyone likes hugs and it’s OK to not have a hug if you don’t feel comfortable.
Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. My kids absolutely LOVE this book, and I do, too. A little girl plants a kiss in the ground, and then it sprouts and grows lots of sparkly glitter — which, of course, is raised, touchable glitter that you have to run your hands over. The kiss grows and spreads love to everyone! I love all of Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s books AND Peter H. Reynolds’ illustrations, and this is a match made in heaven.
My Heart by Corinna Luyken. Have I mentioned that I really like children’s books that help kids understand and process their feelings? Only all the time, I know. But this one has stunning illustrations and rhyming text all about the emotions your heart feels. It’s also a great way to tell your child that they’ll be angry and hurt and even heartbroken sometimes, but their heart can heal and open up again. This one is on my kids’ bookshelf, and the cover always makes me smile.
Love by Stacy McAnulty. This book has beautiful illustrations of people of all different colors and sizes and talks about the many different ways to show love, like giving someone flowers, sharing video phone calls with a parent overseas in the military, speaking in sign language, and cooking dinner together. I love all the diversity in this book and the message that love (and life) isn’t perfect.
The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond. This book is nearly 40 years old, and yet somehow I never read it as a child. One day, it rains hearts, and a little girl catches them and realizes they would be perfect to use for making valentines. She decorates the hearts and sends them to her animal friends! The pictures are adorable, and fans of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie will recognize this author and illustrator.
I want to hear your favorite books about love (or Valentine’s Day specifically). Any great ones you read each year?
