Children's books for Valentine's Day 💌
Special edition: Valentine's Day 2024
Happy, happy (early) Valentine’s Day!
I love Valentine’s Day because it’s a holiday somewhat in the middle🤞of what is an exceedingly long winter here in Wisconsin, and also because it’s relatively low-stakes, and also also because it celebrates love, and that’s something I can always get behind even if “Hallmark made it up.” (Truly: who cares?)
Books for Valentine’s Day are a bonus, but they’re a pretty good bonus, if you ask me. I hope you find some fun new reads here and that your Valentine’s Day — heck, your entire February — is brimming with love 💕
Love Is by Diane Adams, illustrated by Claire Keane (2017)
This short and sweet rhyming story focuses on a year between a little girl and her unnamed pet duck, from their first uncertain moments together through all kinds of tendernesses and fun (captured in Keane’s lively style, through her Photoshop illustrations) until finally, the duck grows big and needs to go out and live in the world.
Instead of leaving it there, though, Adams cleverly allows this special human-avian relationship to continue and morph into something that, while it’s not quite the same as it was before, allows both participants to grow in the ways they each need, emphasizing — in a gentle way we probably all benefit from — that sometimes, love is about holding tight, and other times, letting go.
How We Say I Love You by Nicole Chen, illustrated by Lenny Wen (2022)
I am an effusive person — a hugger, someone who is easily riled/fired up, an emoter of serious proportions. (My husband says, usually through gritted teeth, “Everyone can always tell exactly how you’re feeling,” and for good or for bad, he’s not wrong.) This is 100% learned behavior — my family of origin physically and verbally loves on each other constantly — but I realize not everyone is like this, and not every family expresses love in this way.
That’s really the best part of this tender story featuring a multi-generational family, text peppered with both Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese Hokkien, and bright, lively digital illustrations: their love can be found in what they do for each other, the way they serve one another, rather than in what they say.
This is a perfect way to explain differences between people and families, and to spark conversation about what love looks like — in your life and the lives of the people around you.
The Jewel Heart by Barbara Helen Berger (1988)
This deeply lovely — and loving — story of Gemino, a marionette with a jewel for a heart — remains my youngest’s all-time favorite Berger book, which is really saying something given how obsessed we’ve been with her work over the years.
One day Gemino goes missing, and his love, a dancer named Pavelle, doesn’t know what to do without him. When “the shadows” (the spirits of animals) tell Pavelle that Gemino fell while running and hit his head (it is never explicitly stated that he’s dead, but he’s dead), she is devastated. She decides to try to fix him, and reconstructs his heart. He’s no longer the same, but somehow, he is still perfect. (You’ll have to read this one to find out just how beautiful it is.)
Like all of Berger’s books, this one is dreamy, luminous, and gentle, but its storyline goes above and beyond even her norm: the tragedy and the love exist side by side, the spirit of heartbreak and remembrance are of equal power, which makes for a captivating, moving read.
Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illustrated by Yas Imamura (2022)
The true story of how the author’s grandparents met while they were both imprisoned during World War II for being Japanese American at an incarceration camp, this wrenching and beautifully told tale — complemented by Imamura’s evocative gouache and watercolor illustrations — is excellent for elementary students who are ready to confront the worst truths of American history as well as the fact that love — and most importantly, hope — can overcome even the darkest times.
A World of Love by Aimee Reid, illustrated by Christopher Lyles (2024)
Reminiscent of the classic Time for Bed by Mem Fox — but with much brighter, textured illustrations made by Lyles with collage, hand-painted papers, pencils, and crayons — this is a sweetly reassuring read for babies and toddlers about the varied and unique ways different animal caregivers show love for their babies. In addition to exploring animal behaviors around the globe — this is not your average barnyard mélange — what I find particularly refreshing about this one is that it’s not specifically about mothers or fathers (either works), but about any adult covering little ones in love.
(Not just for Valentine’s Day, either — this is a lovely read at any time of the year.)
Your One And Only Heart by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Lauren Paige Conrad (2023)
If you’re struggling to find something for your nonfiction lover to read for Valentine’s Day, here’s your sign: this is a poetic exploration of the circulatory system (that right there is a sentence I never expected to type), with a poem for each characteristic and function of the human heart.
If you’ve ever been skeptical that poetry and science can really work, please get your hands on this one — Conrad’s gouache, crayon, colored pencil, and collage illustrations are vibrant but clear, and the whole thing is fascinating (I learned something!) Highly recommended.
Love Letters by Arnold Adoff, illustrated by Lisa Desimini (1997)
I initially wasn’t going to include two poetry books — I try to be careful not to hit you over the head with poetry, believe it or not — but I couldn’t hold back from sharing this little gem, an oldie-but-goodie that celebrates the tradition of valentines and love notes.
Each poem, beautifully written and accompanied by Desmini’s inventive mixed media illustrations, is addressed to someone — someone usually unaware that the sender is pining away for them, which makes it perfect for elementary readers who perhaps don’t know yet how to approach the object of their affection.
Plus, they’re funny:
Dear Fill-in-Your-Own-Name:
Please
excuse this printed valentine
but
I really do like at least ten
girls in our grade and maybe
a
few more,
and
my dad has this excellent copying
machine
in his officeYour Special Love:
Mr. One-And-Only.
(That would win me over, fwiw…)
Also highly recommended
If I have reviewed any of these titles in the past, I’ve linked to those here.
I Love You Because You’re You by Liza Baker
Love You From Head to Toe by Ashley Barron (for babies and toddlers)
Hug Machine by Scott Campbell
Hand in Hand by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (for babies and toddlers)
Crocodiles Need Kisses Too by Rebecca Colby
Full, Full, Full of Love by Trish Cooke
The Littlest Valentine by Brandi Dougherty
A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story About Knitting and Love by Michelle Edwards
My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith
This is NOT a Valentine by Carter Higgins
Homemade Love by bell hooks
Wild Honey from the Moon by Kenneth Kraegel
Groundhug Day by Anne Marie Pace
Make & Share Random Acts of Kindness: Simple Crafts and Recipes to Give and Spread Joy by Mique Provost
That’s Me Loving You by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli
A Village Full of Valentines by James Stevenson
My Love For You is Always by Gillian Sze
Little You by Richard Van Camp
You’re Lovable to Me by Kat Yeh
Poetry
I Am Loved: A Poetry Collection by Nikki Giovanni
It’s Valentine’s Day by Jack Prelutsky
Love’s a Sweet by Clyde Watson
Especially for babies and toddlers
A Kiss Means I Love You by Kathryn Madeline Allen
Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer
I Love You, Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton
Snuggle Puppy (A Love Song) by Sandra Boynton
Count to Love! by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Llama Llama I Love You by Anna Dewdney
Hugs & Kisses by Roberta Grobel Intrater
Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley (singing book with darling illustrations)
I Love You Like No Otter by Rose Rossner
My Heart Beats by Rina Singh
Sweet, Sweet Baby! by Javaka Steptoe
Everything else
Under the Love Umbrella by Davina Bell
The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond
The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting
I’ll Love You Till The Cows Come Home by Kathryn Cristaldi
How Far Do You Love Me? by Lulu Delacre
Cranberry Valentine by Wende and Harry Devlin
Valentine’s Day Stories and Poems by Caroline Feller Bauer
Love Is Love by Michael Genhart
Mouse and Mole: Secret Valentine by Wong Herbert Yee
The Ballad of Valentine by Alison Jackson
Did I Tell You I Love You Today? by Deloris Jordan
The Biggest Valentine Ever by Steven Kroll
Sugar Cookies: Sweet Little Lessons on Love by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
I Love You For You by Heather Lester
I Love You! A Bushel & A Peck by Frank Loesser
The I Love You Book by Todd Parr
Snowy Valentine by David Peterson
All the Things I Love About You by LeUyen Pham
Valentine’s Day by Anne Rockwell
I Am Love: A Book of Compassion by Susan Verde (part of the excellent I Am Human series; I reviewed I Am Human in issue No. 12)
And here’s a printable PDF of this booklist 🖨️
As always, I have a Bookshop.org list, Books for Valentine’s Day, in case you’d like to visually browse and/or support this newsletter in another way — I get a tiny commission if you use this link to make a purchase.
Happy Valentine’s Day! May you receive all kinds of love, and more 🩷
Sarah
Love Violet is a new favorite of mine
How do you always come up with such incredible lists?! And “Love Is” is my current favorite. Can’t wait to surprise my kid with it for Valentine’s Day!