want to send a love note to your little valentine? start with a sweet book.
These picture books about love aren’t just hearts, flowers, and chocolate. they can be a ray of light when surrounded by darkness. or as runny and sweet as the jelly side of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
You are reading: Best valentine’s day books for toddlers
No matter what flavor of love you want to share, here are the best Valentine’s Day books for kids that are sure to please your little Valentine.
best-selling valentine’s day books for kids
“you are my happy”, by hoda kotb
hoda’s book inspired by haley joy is about gratitude for the things that make us happy, and more especially our little ones.
“the love letter”, by anika aldamuy denise and lucy ruth cummins
A love letter found in the woods leads a series of animals to discover what it feels like to be loved.
“I need a hug,” by aaron blabey
porcupine can’t rest in his search for a hug, until he finds a snake that needs a kiss.
“I love it, z,” by jessie sima
robot z finds a message in a bottle that sends him on a quest to discover what love means in love, z, a heartwarming new book by jessie sima.
“the little tyrannosaurus rex and the impossible hug”, by jonathan stutzman and jay fleck
it’s impossible to give a hug with tiny t. rex arms, but this big-hearted dino is determined to show he cares.
more valentine books for kids
“what is love?” by mac barnett and carson ellis
a child asks the age old question, what is love? His grandmother can’t answer, so he goes on an adventure and gets surprising answers from the people he meets along his journey in this thoughtful story reminiscent of classic fables.
“Viking in Love” by Doug Cenko
stig loves being a viking, except for the whole ocean thing. When he meets Ingrid, he must recruit adorable kittens to help him conquer the sea. is a charming and funny love story with adorable kittens. who could resist?
“when i’m with you”, by pat zietlow miller and eliza wheeler
Life is better together in this sweet, rhythmic ode to friendship that explores how friends can evolve and yet remain constant. “You are the apple on my tree. You are the honey for my bee. No matter what we do. I am happier with you.” (release March 1, 2022)
“we is us”, by Paloma Valdivia
This bilingual picture book imagines a mother and child shapeshifting through different types of animals before discovering who they must be.
“group hug”, by jean reidy and joey chou
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A slug may not seem like your first choice for a hug, but this sweet gastropod has plenty of love to give, and there’s room in the group hug for even the prickly and scary among us.
“kisses, kisses from head to toe”, by karen katz
babies will love the flip-up flap format with a mirror on the back. parents will love the excuse to give lots of kisses.
“with much love”, by jenny torres sanchez and andré ceolin
When Rocio moves to a new home, she misses her grandmother and other relatives, but love finds a way to transcend the location.
“hello, love,” by taro miura
How do animals greet each other? you may want to fishtail with your toddler and touch noses.
“me and mom”, from cozbi a. goatherd
This 2021 caldecott honor picture book is an ode to mom from a child’s point of view.
“as the moon loves the sky”, by hena khan and saffa khan
A mother lovingly distills her hopes and dreams for a child’s life.
“cupid porcupine”, by jason june and lori richmond
When the porcupine uses his quills like cupid’s arrows, he rallies the other animals to tackle his prick problem.
“because you’re mine”, by nancy tillman
The author’s new title “wherever you are, my love will find you” tells children that there is nothing the world can do to stop a father’s love.
“i love you more than”, by taye diggs and shane w. evans
In this story of fatherly love from Taye Diggs, Dad may not be with his son as often as he’d like, but his love fills the gap between them.
“caveboy crush”, by beth ferry and joseph kuefler
When Neander finds someone short, hairy and perfect, he must find a way to impress the person he likes. it turns out that smashing things is strangely ineffective.
“you love the sheep!” by cece bell
This sweet follow-up to the hilarious “I am a donkey” finds yam in love with the sheep and the donkey just as confused as you are by that scenario.
“I love it,” by matt de la peña and loren long
“love” celebrates love even in times of hardship and darkness, and made waves for its images, including a child huddled under a piano as parents fight. but matt de la peña believes that we should not protect children from the dark.
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“I am so moved by the truth and reality that I felt like the poem was empty until I recognized that adversity exists in this world, and indeed if we recognize adversity or even elements of darkness, I feel that the love can be even more powerful,” de la Peña said today.
“my heart,” by corinna luyken
“my heart” by corinna luyken is a visual poem that acknowledges the moments when a child’s heart is cloudy or broken or a whisper, but ends with a joyous sense of ownership of those feelings. look for hidden hearts on each page.
“this is not valentine”, by carter higgins and lucy ruth cummins
This book swears it’s not Valentine’s Day because it trades in hearts and flowers for dripping glue, paper airplanes, and half the jelly from a peanut butter sandwich (which makes it that much more special).
“kisses for baby”, by jen arena and blanca gomez
This board book of rhymes will inspire dozens of kisses for the baby in your life.
“the smallest things give the loveliest hugs,” by mark sperring and maddie frost
sweet rhyming text celebrates all the little critters (just like yours) who are “too smart to give a hug.”
“If animals could say I love you,” by ann whitford paul and david walker
another sweet board book that imagines all the ways animals can say “I love you” just like we do.
“a hug is for hugging me,” by lisa wheeler and lisk feng
A look around the natural world shows all kinds of hugs that feel right at home.
“with love, mom”, by jeanette bradley
Saying goodbye to mom is hard, but a letter makes all the difference in this heartwarming love story that can cross any distance.
“I love you already,” by jory john and benji davies
the duck just wants the grumpy bear to like him. it may surprise you both that it already does.
“love is”, by diane adams and claire keane
A little girl embraces a duckling and learns what love is, from noisy midnight feedings to sensing when it’s the right time to fly from the nest. she can resonate with both her parents and her children.
To see more stories like this, check out:
- 47 creative gift ideas for your little valentine
- surprise your best friends with these sweet valentines day gifts
- show yourself some love this valentine’s day with 26 essential personal care
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