For me, the traditional Valentine's gift fare doesn't seem right for my children. It doesn’t express how much I love them, and it's bound to lead to sugar-induced tantrums!
When my older child was approaching her second Valentine’s day, I was struggling to find a way to celebrate the day. I didn’t want to offer her another holiday filled with candy or more gifts after barely scratching the surface on her holiday haul.
One cold February afternoon in 2018 as we snuggled inside reading The I LOVE You Book, by Todd Parr, I realized that I had had the solution all along. Books! I would give her a book with an inscription that captured my feelings each Valentine's Day. She could keep the books and be reminded of my words and the books' messages year after year.
Since then, I’ve continued this tradition. I even went back and added a book for that very first Valentine's Day that had already passed (she'll never suspect a thing!). This year, I’ve found just the right books for both of my children. As I added them to the Valentine’s Days collection, I noticed something unexpected. The books have grown with my children -- the indestructible books turned into board books turned into hardcovers -- and serve as reminders of those years. I can still remember my older child stomping around like a T. rex, each time I see her dinosaur-themed book. This has become one of my very favorite and dearest traditions, and I hope this inspires you to try it too!
Below are the books that I've given to my children. Please note: These are affiliate links and if you purchase through them, I receive a small commission at no cost to you.
2017.
Snuggle Puppy! is an adorable story with rhyme and rhythm that very quickly becomes a song, and you'll find yourself singing along. Rhyme and rhythm are ideal characteristics of books for young children and lend themselves very well to the early literacy strategies in my course. Any of Sandra Boynton's books make an excellent choice for supporting early childhood literacy and speech and language development. (This is the book that I backdated since I didn't start this until 2018. I happened to already have this book and it fit the Valentine's theme perfectly. Your kids won't mind if you start a little late or fill in a few missing years to catch up.)
2018.
The I LOVE You Book, by Todd Parr, originally inspired this project. Both my children loved Todd Parr’s books for their vibrant colors and graphics, especially between the ages of 6 and 18 months. This book is especially sweet and explores the concept of opposites, which support language development. The pages reading, "I love you when you sleep. I love you when you don't sleep" have always stood out to me and have been a helpful mantra at 3 am.
2019.
My older child became obsessed with dinosaurs at the age of two, so this independently published book by Jessica Brady, The Dinosaurs Valentine's Day, was the perfect fit! Logan, a dinosaur, is making Valentine's Day cards for each of his friends and reflects on the characteristics and talents that he admires. After finding no one at home while delivering his cards, he is surprised at home by a knock on the door. Who do you think it could be? This book includes a nice element of prediction, another of the strategies in my course.
2020.
In 2020 my second child was one month old, and I started this tradition for her too! Love You, Baby, a book from Indestructibles, was a no-brainer, because I knew it would outlast anything that my baby could put it through. It's been especially fun to read at bath time - an unexpected and fantastic time to add story time to your routine!
For my older daughter, this Sesame Street book, Love, explores the definition of love as each character shares what love means to them. This helps a child to develop their own point of view, to consider the perspectives of others, and to learn that we can all have different opinions. These are important social skills and competencies for communication and connection, which you can learn more about in my course.
2021.
Peekaboo Love is one of my all-time favorite interactive books. My younger child became interested in them at around 6 months and would explore them, particularly the mirror slides, for 10 or 15 minutes at a time, which at the time seemed miraculous. The various slides were easy for her to manipulate and the illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius are highly engaging. In particular, the use of eyes in the slides is engaging and promotes connection.
For my older child, Love by Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long beautifully celebrates love and relationships through all of life's ups and downs, joys and hardships. This felt particularly poignant with all that had changed in the world since February 2020.
2022.
This year my younger child will get What Matters Most by Emma Dodd. Through rhyme and opposites concepts like big and small, going out and staying home, and fast and slow, this book concludes that love is what matters most.
On a similar note, my older daughter will receive You Matter by Christian Robinson which also uses opposites, such as near or far, big or small, and first or last, to highlight the value of each of our lives. While these books are not directly about love, examining what is most important to us and reaffirming our own value are both important lessons in love.
I hope that you will find Valentine's Day books that speak to you and that this tradition will become just as memorable and meaningful to you and your family. I know I’ll continue until I run out of books about love. But I don’t think I ever will. Judging by the sheer number of books on love that have been written over the ages, they’re almost as endless as my love for my kids!
Want to enjoy story time with your children and develop a lifetime love of reading and learning?
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Love it!