Picture Books about Love for Toddlers and Preschoolers
We've been doing all things Valentine's around here already, and that includes our choice of books. I went on a hunt for Valentine themed books that I felt were age appropriate for toddlers and even preschoolers, and I found a TON! There were so many I wanted to share I decided to separate them into specifically Valentine's books (which you can read about here) and then more general books about love that can (and should) be read year round.So here they are, in no particular order, our favorite LOVE books. (This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read more of this disclosure here. Thank you)
Never Too Little to Love by Jeanne Willis is about a mouse that loves a giraffe. He tries building a tower of random objects so he can climb up to her level, but just can't make it happen.Why Pooky likes it: Since we've been learning about hearts, she likes to point out all the tiny hearts she sees throughout the book. She also seems to like how the pages get smaller and smaller as you go through the story (to reveal the tower mouse is building on the facing page) as well as the surprise pop-out at the end of the book.
Why I like it: It has a good message of not giving up when you really want something. There's good repetition, and there's also a good vocabulary lesson because the way the pages are designed, the label lines up with the picture on the facing page (watermelon, teacup, etc...) Plus the book is just so stinkin' cute!
Love is You and Me by Monica Sheehan is a story about a mouse and a dog explaining what love is.Why Pooky likes it: Pooky likes to point out the details in these large, simple pictures. She especially seems to like the pages that are saturated with color.Why I like it: I love all the ways these characters define the abstract concept of "love."
Love You When... by Linda Kranz is a collection of painted rocks that exemplify moments of love.Why Pooky likes it: She is very drawn to the beautiful paintings on the rocks.Why I like it: This book is one of my favorites. It is a reminder that love is the collection of all the little moments we share with our loved ones. This book is great to read year round as it has examples of moments from all four seasons. And I absolutely LOVE the gorgeous painted rocks! I want some!
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch is a classic story of a mother's love.Why Pooky likes it: Pooky is too young to get the full gist of the story yet, but she likes the sing-song rhythm of the repeating phrase "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be." Also, the silliness of the pictures makes her giggle.Why I like it: If you are familiar at all with this author, then you know he writes quality children's books. This is no exception. It's a heart-warming story of the strong bond of love between parent and child. It brings tears to my eyes every time I read it.
I Love You Too by Ziggy Marley is the children's book representation of the lyrics of this author's Emmy award-winning song by the same name.
Why Pooky likes it: Pooky seems to really enjoy the animated pictures done by Ag Jatkowska. She was giggling on nearly every page.
Why I like it: This book shows the many ways a parent loves a child without the story being overly sappy. This book also really grabbed my attention since Multicultural Children's Book Day is coming up. A variety of ethnicities are represented in the pictures making this book another real winner for me.
Always by Emma Dodd was not published in the U.S. until 2014. It tells how a mother elephant always loves her baby no matter what.
Why Pooky likes it: Pooky loves seeing the silly antics of the baby elephant shown throughout the story. She also likes how there are different colors and textures on each page (such as the smooth shiny silver lake where the elephants bathe).
Why I like it: This is currently my favorite book to read to Pooky. I enjoy the lovely pictures almost as much as the story. The book teaches such a good lesson; that even when our little ones are naughty, we still love them with all our heart, and we always will no matter what.
So...What did I leave out? What "love" books are you and your little one(s) enjoying?