Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love and while love means something quite different to kids than adults, Valentine’s Day is still a fun holiday to celebrate with kids.
Fortunately, books about love and friendship abound for children. Below are our favorites. The one of our shelves – or actually in our featured basket for the month.
There are a few Valentine’s Day focused children’s books on this list, but there are also a lot of books about love and friendship that are both timeless and favorites all year round.
Get to the end and feel like I missed a great one? Please tell me about it. Comment at the bottom or tag #aReadaDay on Instagram and I’ll make sure to check it out!
I divided this books below into board books, picture books, early chapter books and so on to make it easier for you to find the books that will best fit your kids and family.
affiliate links are included in this post.
9 Baby & Toddler
Board Books about Love, Friendship
for Valentine’s Day
1.That’s Me Loving You
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
illustrations by Teagan White
This book chokes me up every time. Maybe it’s knowing Rosenthal’s story or maybe it’s my own CF diagnosis, but the message of a mom loving their child no matter where they are makes me teary eyed. But even on a less dramatic note, this is a good one for any sort of separation – the first day of preschool, divorce, deployment, whatever. It’s that universally true message that parents love us always, even when we’re apart.
2. Mama, Do You Love Me?
by Barbara M. Joosse
illustrated by Barbara Lavallee
This was gifted to us when our twins were born and it was one of my favorites to read aloud to them before bed. It’s lyrical, brief, and full of a mama’s unconditional love. I also adore the Alaskan setting and how aptly it conveys that a mother’s love is a universal thing.
3. I Heart You
by Meg Fleming and illustrated by Sarah Jane Wright
This has the warm, loving quality of a timeless classic. The words are short and sweet couplets full of love. The illustrations are gentle depictions of animal and human mamas and little ones. It is a darling board book that is perfect for a baby shower gift, new baby, Valentine’s Day, or just reading aloud every night to your little love.
4. I Love You Through and Through
by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak
illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church
Our copy of this book is very worn and chewed and well loved. It was one of the books I read almost daily to my twins when they were babies. It’s perfect for reading before nap or bedtime. It’s about loving all the parts and sides – good and bad – of your baby. Sweet, soothing, and full of love.
5. Guess How Much I Love You
by Sam McBratney
This sweet book has become a classic. It is a discussion between a mom and her little bunny about love and the great lengths one goes for the people (or bunnies) they love.
6. Happy Heart
by Hannah Eliot and illustrated by Susie Hammer
If you have a kiddo who loves textures, this is a fun book to put in their hands. It is a board book shaped like a heart and each page has a raised glittery (but not the kind that falls off!) page that just begs to be stroked and rubbed. The text is kind of cliche love statements that are sweet and perfect for Valentine’s Day.
7. Be Mine, Porcupine
by Hannah Eliot
Illustrated by Kathryn Selbert
All the adorableness is in this little board book. The illustrations are the dearest part. These sweet little animals stole my heart. Each page also has a pull tab Valentine to pull out with a seriously cheesy pun related to the animal. The tabs are best for toddlers, not babies. The puns are best for the grown up 🙂 The book is completely adorable all around.
8. How Big is Love?
by Emma Dodd
Such a sweet book. It isn’t a board book, but it’s smaller than a standard picture book and the pages are a little more thick than standard. The text is a poem about love that helps conceptualize the depth and breadth of the feeling for little ones. The illustrations are so adorable. They follow a mama duck and her babies. The ducks are cute and the flecks of gold worked into the illustrations make them pop in a surprising and wonderful way. This is a great book for Valentine’s Day, baby shower, or any parent of little ones.
9. Peekabo Love
by Ingela P. Arrhenius
Everything you want in a board book. Cute illustrations. Interactive element. Brief text. A mirror for little baby to peek in. This one is about love and it’s adorable. Babies will love using the thick, well crafted movable elements in this latest in a series of Peekaboo board books.
23 Picture Books
about Love, Friendship
for Valentine’s Day
2. Be A Friend
by Salina Yoon
Salina Yoon has a darling penguin series and this is a completely intriguing departure. The illustrations are muted and the concept draws you in. Dennis is a small, shy boy who dresses and acts like a mime. Stop here if you are frightened of mimes, but truthfully he is the most adorable mime. It is a book about imagination and being unique and finding true friendship.
Also Read: Salina Yoon Author Study Ideas
3. Stick and Stone
by Beth Ferry
illustrated by Tom Lichetenheld
A sweet book about friendship. Stick and Stone are all alone and lonely until Stick stands up to a bully for Stone. A fast friendship is formed and the two are side by side until a storm carries Stick away. Can Stone find and rescue his special pal? Thoughtful limited text and gentle but quirky illustrations, this team of Ferry and Lichtenheld is a perfect 10.
4. What Color is a Kiss?
by Rocio Bonilla
More than anything Monica loves to paint. She has painted just about everything, but she has never painted a kiss. The trouble is, she can’t figure out what color a kiss should be painted. She runs through the colors with creativity and humor, but she can’t figure it out. Ultimately, she turns to her mom who has the perfect answer. I love the soft pencil and watercolor illustrations that mirror Monica’s love of art while capturing her broad emotions. This is a wonderful book about color and imagination that leaves you wanting to pick up a paintbrush.
5. Groggle’s Monster Valentine
by Diana Murray
illustrated by Bats Langley
Groggle the Monster is hard at work making a Valentine for his “beast” friend, Snarlina. He wants it to be perfect so he gathers up heart-shaped leaves, plenty of bog slime, and carefully crafts the perfect message. It looks horribly good, which is a problem when you have a monster sized appetite. As one Valentine after another gets munched down by the well-intentioned Monster, it starts to look like Snarlina might not get a Valentine. The brief, expressive text and messy, grungy illustrations endear Groggle to your heart and leave you eager to craft your own Valentine. This is the perfect read aloud to share with kids on Valentine’s Day. It is full of silliness, messiness, and just the right amount of love.
6. In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
by Jo Witek
This beautiful book is one of my daughter’s favorites. It has a cool little cut out on the cover that I think peaks your interest, but the beauty of it is the wonderful way it discusses feelings – the good and the bad.
7. Elephant and Piggie
by Mo Willems
SHOULD I SHARE MY ICE CREAM? is pictured above, but in truth all of the Elephant and Piggie books explore some aspect of friendship. Theirs is a friendship full of lots of love, but also the every day issues that friends face. On top of that they are all hilarious. Is there a person left on the planet that hasn’t read at least one of these? If it’s you – promise me you’ll request one from the library today – or order the whole collection. You won’t regret it.
8. Love, Z
by Jessie Sima
What is love? Not a new question, but certainly one without an obvious, easy answer. In this sweet story, a robot named Z sets out on a quest to learn what the word love means. Heartwarming, beautifully simple, and fun – this book answers his question and more.
9. Love, Triangle
by Marcie Colleen
illustrated by Bob Shea
Cute book about shapes, but also about friendship. Circle and Square are best friends until Triangle comes along and they have to learn to navigate new relationships. Great general book about friendship, but also clever shape humor and language tied in.
10. The Rabbit Listened
by Cori Doerrfeld
This, to me, is picture book perfection. It makes me feel all of the feels. But for the purposes of this list, it is also a perfect depiction of what friendship is. It’s simple and wonderful and full of love.
11. Fox Makes Friends
by Adam Relf
I’m so game for a good play on words and those cute little misunderstandings that little kids have due to their limited understanding of the oddities of our language. In this one, Fox’s mom tells him to go make a friend and he takes that quite literally. Along the way he accidentally makes some friends with the sweetest little wrap up to a story.
12. Thread of Love
by Kabir Sehgal & Surishtha Sehgal
illustrated by Zara Gonzalez Haang
I love books that introduce kids to other traditions and cultures. This does that and celebrates the sibling relationship. The book is one you can sing – set to the tune of Frere Jacques and it’s complete with directions on how to make your own rahki at the back.
13. Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship
by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes
illustrated by Scott Magoon
Based on the true story of a woman injured in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing (although that is only mentioned in the author’s note) and her service dog. Warm, honest, and inspiring this story tells the struggles of someone adapting to a prosthetic, but also the life changing help that a service dog can provide. Equal parts sweet and heartwarming, these two characters will stay with you long after you close the book.
14. Love Is
by Diane Adams
illustrated by Claire Keane
I don’t know how anyone could look at this darling cover and not buy this book – I know I couldn’t resist. The story, however, is equally sweet. Adams carefully shares the story of a parent letting go through the story of this little girl letting go of a baby duck. My kids love the cute story. I love the beautiful message to parents.
15. When an Elephant Falls in Love
by Davide Cali
illustrated by Alice Lotti
The illustrations are absolutely adorable. Some of them are so cute they could be framed on the wall of a nursery. I like the story but I think a lot of it goes over the head of little kids – share this one with elementary schoolers.
16. I Need a Hug
by Aaron Blabey
Completely adorable main character aside, this book is darling and hilarious. Written by the author of the BAD GUYS series that my kids can’t get enough of, this is a new one by Blabey that shares the message that everyone needs love – even someone prickly and hard to hug.
17. How Do I Love Thee?
by Jennifer Adams
Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
Such a sweet and beautiful book. This is a reinvention of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s famous “Sonnet 43”. It’s perfect for reading aloud on Valentine’s Day – and any day.
18. My Love is All Around
by Danielle McLean
illustrated by Sebastien Braun
Order Online
This is a warm book about love for animal lovers. A mama bear and her cub have a conversation about the love all around them as they observe other animals in the forest. Sweet, relatable this provides great concrete examples of love.
19. My Creepy Valentine
by Arthur Howard
This is the Valentine’s Day book that’s for those of you that are much more a fan of Halloween. Mitzi the witch doesn’t enjoy Valentine’s Day…until she has someone she wants to gift a Valentine. Watching Mitzi attempt to write an appropriate rhyme is highly amusing and the result is sweet.
20. Share Some Kindness Bring Some Light
by Apryl Stott
This is the story of two unlikely friends who try to change the minds of the forest animals who think bear is scary because he’s so big. The pair is tasked with trying to demonstrate kindness and just like parents struggle to explain abstract words like this, Coco and Bear aren’t sure how to give kindness to the animals. Their attempt is sweet and a little funny, but really it is the gorgeous warmth of the illustrations and the relationship between the two that are the best part of this book. A wintry delight about kindness and making the world just a little better.
21. While We Can’t Hug
by Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar
This is a truly darling book about friendship. It feels inspired by the pandemic and distancing, but I feel like it could apply to many situations. The general idea is that the two animal friends can’t hug so they need to find other ways to show that they care about each other. It’s really sweet and it’s brief text and simply, but lovely illustrations are perfect for storytime.
22. Words to Make a Friend: a Story in Japanese and English
by Donna Jo Napoli and Naoko Stoop
Gentle, adorable story about two girls who make friends with only a few words. The pairs of words on each page – one in English, one in Japanese – are the simple text that tell the story. Beautiful illustrations set a wintry scene for this kind exchange.
23. I Love You Because You’re You
by Liza Baker
illustrated by David McPhail
Gently illustrated by the wonderful David McPhail, this is a darling story about a mom and a little boy. The mom shares that she loves her little one when he’s happy, sad, and everything in between. It ends with “I love you any way you are. I love you because you’re you!” I love the message. As a mom I ride the waves of my children’s strong emotions all day long, yet good or bad at the end of the day I love them always. This beautiful idea is well articulated by Liza Baker in this sweet story. Find Online
Download New Friend Interview Printable
Easy Reader & Early Chapter Books
about Love, Friendship
for Valentine’s Day
It’s Valentine’s Day
by Jack Prelutsky
illustrated by Marylin Hafner
This is a cute collection of poems for early elementary school aged kids. Valentine’s for everyone from friends and teachers to your mom. They have Prelutsky’s typical sly humor and surprises tucked in.
Young Adult Books about Love & Valentine’s Day
The Meet-Cute Project
by Rhiannon Richardson
A sweet young adult rom-com about a teen girl that has to find a date to her sister’s wedding. Mia isn’t a fan of rom-coms but her friends love a good meet-cute and create a contest aimed at giving Mia the perfect set up. Not Valentine’s Day specific but lots of sweet and sometimes awkward love moments with a satisfying conclusion.
Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrows
by Laura Taylor Namey
I worried picking this up that it was too many things – a Cuban-American girl from Miami spends a summer in London while trying to overcome a loss and a breakup. While there she cooks amazing things and falls in love with a British guy. It’s a story about finding yourself. It’s a story about adapting and accepting change. It’s about allowing yourself to enjoy unexpected things. It’s about a lot of things, but the author has carefully crafted the story so it felt like just the right amount of everything – kind of like the perfect recipe. It is definitely about love and friendship, but it’s also about loving yourself.
Find Online
BONUS: Valentine’s Day Idea
Our neighborhood is doing a Valentine’s Day exchange for the kids this year. Each kid who wants to participate is making a mailbox or basket with their name on it. They’re putting them out on their porch on Valentine’s Day.
We’re all making Valentine’s Day baggies to exchange and then on Valentine’s Day we’re going around to the houses during a couple hour window after lunch and delivering our Valentine’s.
Our Valentine’s Day bags will contain some candy but we’re also including these crafting supplies and tattoos from Joyin Co.
We were offered a sample pack from Joyin Co in exchange for a review and I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived. My kids were so excited about the different stickers, the variety of tattoos, and especially the cute stampers. They took special care in deciding which options they thought would best suit which neighbor.
If you’re looking for Valentine’s Day options that go beyond the standard cards, they have a HUGE range of options.
Our Goodie Bags for our Neighborhood Exchange include:
- Goodie Bags ordered from Amazon
- Valentine’s Day card printed from Shutterfly (also sending these to our grandparents)
- Assortment of Candy
- Tattoos, Stampers, Stickers from Joyin Co
Hope you guys have a happy Valentine’s Day! xo Erin
Great picks! We have several of these at our house!
Thank you! I hope you found some new ones to read too! This list makes me so happy 🙂 All the lovely feels.