I love having books for my kids that celebrate holidays and special occasions. With my kids being 5 and 3, we now have quite a number of Valentine’s books for toddlers & preschoolers (and beyond) in our library – and it’s still growing!
Even though it’s fun to give books on the actual holiday, I tend to prefer giving books earlier. That way, they’re part of the anticipation of the holiday. Once the actual day has come and gone, I feel like they lose a bit of their appeal since we’re quickly on to the next thing.
Giving books early provides a great amount of time to enjoy them. With my oldest in kindergarten this year, time seems to be moving faster and faster. To keep reading a habit, we read to each child at bedtime and at nap time. I also look for pockets of time – like when they wake up a little early and we have extra time before breakfast, or when we have rainy afternoons.
One of the kids’ favorite times to read is during mealtime. As long as I’m not overly hungry at the moment, I enjoy it too. I let them each pick a book, and I take “bites breaks” periodically. They really enjoy it. And I find they stay at the table easily, and sometimes actually eat more of their meal. Win-win!
A Note About Age Ranges
Here are some of our favorite Valentine’s Day books. We own each of these, and I’ll share a few thoughts about what has made each book special for our family. Even though they might be considered toddler or preschool books, I consider that just a suggestion. For my daughter who’s in kindergarten, she loves continuing to read many of the “younger” books that she’s familiar with. So, I feel like most of them don’t have an ending age, so to say.
If you see a book that you think would interest your child, just get it without worrying about age. I’ve seen my kids enjoy long stories I thought would be too old for them. And I’ve seen them drawn to younger books because of the theme or familiarity.
It’s fun to discover the books your kids are drawn to. I hope you find some new ones here to add to your library! Let me know which ones you get!
Valentine’s Books
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Little Blue Truck’s Valentine
If your kids love farm books, you’ll love this book! We added it to our collection this year since we already enjoy other books in the Little Blue Truck series, and it was an immediate hit. I like to read it with a country accent.
Construction Site: You’re Just Right
My kids love all things construction, and when you add flaps and a mirror at the end, it’s a triple win. Each truck surprises another with a Valentine, and it’s fun to help kids figure out who’s doing the surprising.
I Love You This Much
You have to have a Disney book, right? I love this one so much I gave one to each child when they were babies. It’s a cute, quick read with Mickey Mouse and your other favorite Disney friends. Especially great for babies and toddlers.
Night Night, Valentine
This is a cute book with lots of animal families, and it’s part of a larger series. It also features a sweet faith-related tie-in, which we like to have in some of our Valentine’s books. Bonus – one of the kids runs a bubble bath for his mom, so maybe you’ll get one too!
Guess How Much I Love You
A classic. And my guess is it’s the reason many of us say, “I love you to the moon and back.” We gave a copy to each of our kids. I especially like this padded cover version because it’s a little bigger than the regular board book – and comfy to hold.
You Are My I Love You
If this is a new one for you, it was for me too! Someone gifted it to Katherine when she was a baby. She’s always enjoyed it because of the bears. I find myself relating to it more and more as the years go by. It’s one of my favorites to read. And it features a daddy bear! So many kids’ books focus on a mommy character, and I like making sure we have daddy-focused books also.
How Many Do I Love You? A Valentine Counting Book
My sister-in-law finds the best books, and she gifted this one to Little Joel when he was 2. Super colorful, lots of animals, and fun to read with rhyming and alliteration. Plus counting! A great book for toddlers and preschoolers.
Little One, God Loves You
A sweet book about God’s love for you. Short enough to read to babies or toddlers, but with a message that extends into preschool and beyond.
I Love You Like No Otter
That’s right – a pun-filled Valentine’s book! My husband has passed on his love for puns to our 5-year old, and this is one of their favorite books to read together. It’s so fun.
Love from Me to You
Another excellent sister-in-law find! This book has cute cutouts that my kids enjoy sticking their fingers through. I love how it makes love very practical and tangible. Great for toddlers and also older – especially because it can lead to great conversations with early elementary kids about how to show love.
Jesus Loves Me! Bible Songs Bring Along & Sing Along
A fun, musical book for babies and toddlers. It has buttons you press to listen to the instrumental version of 5 songs.
Grandpa Love
My dad gave this to Katherine on her first Valentine’s Day (which was also his first Valentine’s Day as a grandpa!). It’s a sweet story about all the fun activities a raccoon grandchild and grandpa do on their day together. Would make a great gift to or from a grandpa!
Grandma Kisses & Hugs
A book all about grandmas and how special they are! It features lots of animals and the things that are fun to do with grandmas – filled with lots of hugs. If you’re looking for sweet gift to or from a grandma, this is a great option.
Llama Llama I Love You
If your kids already love Llama Llama, this is a great book for you to add. It’s short and sweet to read together. Especially good for toddlers.
