valentines books for kids

We have a little bin of books that we pull out for each holiday, and we wanted to share our (growing) Valentine's collection! As much as I'd also love it to be strictly aesthetically pleasing, I'm including all the ones (looking at you, Elmo) that my kids adore even though they aren't beautiful... so enjoy!

(1) Little Love Bug - This small board book series has been best for our little, little ones. The words are pretty basic, but for the 2 and under crowd, you can't beat the finger puppet.

(2) Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse! - Really hits home on the concept of highlighting the best qualities in your friends and celebrating it! I'd say preschool age is perfect for this one.

(3) Heart String - This one goes beyond Valentine's day but gets to the core of broader love and community. It speaks not only to how we're always connected with those we love when we're not with them, but it also speaks to how interconnected we all are - even as strangers. Appropriate for all ages.

(4) My Fuzzy Valentine - We have some serious Sesame Street lovers in this family... so anything with Elmo is basically golden. There are more words than I expected from an Elmo board book, which makes it easy to read with all the kids and keep it interesting (while William just enjoys staring at (and 'feeling') Elmo on each page).

(5) It's Valentine's Day - Our first grader is super into the Early Readers, so we love to surprise her with one seasonally. The library was also out of Valentine picture books by the time we went (Feb 1!), but they still had quite a few of these "I Can Read!" books that were seasonal... so likely availability is a plus too.

(6) Love Grows Everywhere - It's a beautifully illustrated book, and the kids have something to say about the art on almost every page. The words are sweet and the rhyming is just right.

(7) Celebrate Valentine's Day - This book is nonfiction and covers several aspects of the special day - the origins around 270 AD, how it's been celebrated across history, and then the ways it is celebrated around the world today. It has plenty of pictures and fun facts too!

(8) Love, Escargot - This French snail is going to a party! He also has some insecurities that his friends help him overcome, which is a sweet message. Plus there are even some French words to add a little flair!

(9) LOVE - This one from the Very Hungry Caterpillar series is interesting because it's beautiful (for adults), simple (for little ones), but has concepts and terminology that is somewhat complex (for bigger kids). So even in its simplicity, we like to read it all together as everyone has different input.

(10) what's sweeter - This book is not specific to Valentine's by any means, but it's just the best. It highlights the littlest sweet things in life and has the most beautiful drawings. Use Valentine's as an excuse to read or gift this gem for any age!

(11) Laugh out Loud Valentines Day - Andrew loves a good joke book, so this one is mostly for him. Some of the jokes are tricky for kids to understand (e.g. puns), but it gives you a chance to teach them something new!

(12) Tiny T Rex and the Perfect Valentine - We love this little series, so we were excited to find they had a Valentine version!