We know Valentine’s Day often gets a bad rap for being over-commercialized, but we love any extra opportunity to show some love. This year, we wanted to show that love to our students and families by sharing 6 of our favorite (non-valentinesy) kids books about love.
#1 I Love You So by Marianne Richmond
This is a sweet and gentle book with kid-friendly rhymes and illustration. If your children are anything like ours, they’ll quickly memorize the prose and read it along with you. The poem is written as a conversation with a child, “I love you.” “How much?” “So much.” “How much is so?” “Way, way more than you know.”
#2 You Made Me a Mother by Laurenne Sala
This book feels like the gentle narrative in a mother’s mind when she looks at her child. “Sure, there are times I still get nervous, or times I don’t have the perfect answers. But then you smile, and you take my hand in those little fingers and I remember that everything is magic.” The pictures are sweet and playful, and though the deeper emotions behind the words might not register until your child is a parent him or herself, the love is captured in the beautiful illustrations portrayed by illustrator extraordinaire, Robin Preiss Glasser.
#3 I’d Know You Anywhere, My Love by Nancy Tillman
Nancy Tillman is a bit of a celebrity to children’s books aficionados, especially for her New York Times Bestsellers On the Night You Were Born. We love this beautifully illustrated book about unconditional love. The narrator expresses that no matter what her child chooses to be each morning when she wakes up, she’ll always know her and love her.
#4 I’ll Never Let You Go by Smriti Prasadam-Halls
We were hesitant about the title of this book (helicopter parent?) but were pleasantly surprised when we cracked it open. This book is illustrative of a parent’s devotion to his or her children. It captures the commitment to let our children explore the world, develop their courage, and take risks, while also reminding the child that we will always be there to make sure that they’re safe and loved. Children love it because it addresses a common fear of leaving their parent’s side, while providing assurance that mom or dad is always nearby with care and love.
#5 All We Know by Linda Ashman
If you and your children have a rough day where connection and peace don’t come as easily as they usually do, sit down with this book. It will remind you that there are no guidebooks or rules for loving each other; it’s just something pure and simple that comes from inside you.
#7 I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont
We had to include this declaration of self-love in this list because self-love is important! “I like myself,” the narrative states. “I’m glad I’m me. There’s no one else I’d rather be.” In a singsong prose, the goofy character confidently states that even “with spikes all down my spine or hair that’s like a porcupine,” she would still be proud to be herself. The book will make your child giggle, but it will also instill a sweet perception of self-confidence.
What are some of your favorite love-themed children’s books? Let us know in the comments below!