Valentine’s Day Books for Kids
Books to celebrate Valentine’s Day!
This is a growing list of books our family loves to read around Valentine’s Day. During this season, we focus on stories that highlight giving, kindness, love, and friendship. Books are a wonderful way to introduce holidays and traditions to children while sparking meaningful conversations. To bring these stories to life, try pairing your reading time with a simple activity—like making Valentine’s Day or Friendship Day cards for friends and family.
The Valentine Bears
A sweet and gentle story about Mrs. Bear, who wakes up early from hibernation to secretly prepare a special Valentine’s Day surprise for her slumbering husband. Filled with warmth, humor, and tender illustrations, this charming tale celebrates love and thoughtfulness.
The Love Letter
A heartwarming story that follows a group of forest friends who each discover the same misplaced love letter and mistakenly believe it was meant just for them. As the letter is passed along, it sparks a delightful chain reaction of kindness, showing the ripple effects of sharing love, kindness, and generosity.
The Valentine Express
I’m a big fan of Nancy Elizabeth Wallace's books and her charming cut-paper illustrations. This sweet story begins with an introduction to the history and traditions of Valentine’s Day, and then follows characters who show generosity, kindness, and thoughtfulness as they share the holiday with their neighbors.
Franklin’s Valentines
Franklin books are classics and teach so many valuable lessons. This story is so sweet and reminds children that true friendship isn’t about cards or gifts, and that we don’t have to wait for a specific holiday to show our friends that we care.
The Day It Rained Hearts
One day, it unexpectedly rains hearts, and Cornelia Augusta collects them to create thoughtful valentines for her friends, each unique, just like the friends who receive them. It’s a simple story that’s great for younger kids and toddlers, with themes of being thoughtful, embracing the moment, and getting creative with what you have.
Snowy Valentine
A cute story with delightful illustrations! Follow Jasper the bunny on his quest to find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for his wife. Along the way, he discovers that Valentine’s Day isn’t about the perfect present, it’s love and thoughtfulness that truly matter.
Full disclosure: there’s one moment that might be a little scary for younger children, when a fox nearly turns Jasper into rabbit stew—but it’s no more frightening than classic tales like The Three Little Pigs or Little Red Riding Hood.
Valentine Surprise
Lily wants to make her Mom the perfect heart for Valentine's Day. She spends the whole week cutting out paper hearts, but none turn out perfect. In the end, she learns that in her Mom’s eyes, every single one is perfect, because they were made with love.
Sadly, this is out of print, but it can be found used. I found it at my local library!
Valentine’s Day
My daughter loves Anne Rockwell’s books— they’re simple, relatable, and always engaging. In this story, a class of students creates thoughtful Valentine’s cards for a friend who has returned to Japan. With their teachers' help, they mail the cards overseas, and their friend sends back a box of beautiful origami Valentine’s in return.
Sadly, this is out of print, but it can be found used. I found it at my local library!
Clifford’s First Valentine’s Day
A simple, nostalgic board book about Emily and Clifford’s Valentine’s Day adventures.
Sadly, this is out of print, but it can be found used!
Llama Llama I Love You
A sweet, rhyming board book for Valentine’s Day featuring Llama and his Mama! I bought this for my daughter when she was a baby, and years later it’s still a beloved favorite.