4 Books to Celebrate Valentine's Day

All you need is love

Indeed, there is no cake to share with you. This winter, I’ve seen friend after friend, acquaintance after acquaintance succumb to the four plague-men of the winter (flu, COVID, cold, and RSV). And this past week, my number was called. 😭 So that means cake was neither baked nor consumed.

To be honest, a book list on Valentine’s Day wasn’t on my radar. But I think now, more than ever, in the heaviness of the world and this season, it can be uplifting to think about the people we love and the stories we create with them.

My Art Book of Love

Words by Shana Gozansky

Recommended Ages: 1+ years old

I’m a sucker for art books for kids. They’re such a lovely way to expose kids to the big, wide world of fine art. And this book is mighty fine. The book is broken into chapters, always starting with “Love…” (“Love looks like,” “ and showcases a vast array of artworks, from paintings to sculptures, and the most famous artists to the lesser known ones. Each featured piece of art is a beautiful depiction of love, varied in style and reflecting diverse people. Not only are these types of books a tender introduction to art, but you’ll walk away learning something new too! In fact, there was a Van Gogh piece I was completely unfamiliar with that I found particularly beautiful reflecting a family of color wrapping up a day on the farm.

Buy now*

The Owl and the Pussycat

Written by Edward Lear and Illustrated by Jan Brett OR James Marshall

Recommended Ages: 3+ years old

This wacky, zany, entirely lovable poem by Edward Lear, was published way back in 1871. It has since been adapted into children’s books—interpreted by several different illustrators—with magnificent artwork. For those unfamiliar with Lear’s poem, it’s a silly rhyming tale of an owl and pussycat setting off to sail on a year-long trip and recognizing their love for one another. My favorite illustrative adaptations happen to be by the incredibly talented Jan Brett and James Marshall. Brett’s illustrations are so detailed, you can see every pencil and brushstroke bringing the characters to vivacious life. As you read her illustrated interpretation of the poem, there are two love stories being brought to life: Owl and Pussycat’s of course, but a less obvious, hidden love story emerges under the sea. Brett’s illustrations are spectacularly masterful and completely immerse you into the revelry of this poem. Where Brett’s illustrations bring gravitas to the levity of Lear’s poem, James Marshall, the other illustrator who published a children’s book set to this same poem, uses his illustrations to mirror the levity and absurdity of the ballad. Contrasting Brett’s visually stunning illustrations, Marshall’s match the whimsy in its soft colors and muted edges. His presentation is entirely heartwarming. You can’t go wrong with either one; at the end of it all, the poem is such a joy to read!

Buy now - Jan Brett

Buy now - James Marshall

Helga’s Dowry: A Troll Love Story

Written and Illustrated by Tomie dePaola

Recommended Ages: 7+ years old

If you’re unfamiliar with Tomie dePaola, the next Classics Corner will be dedicated to his most famous Caldecott-winning children’s book: Strega Nona. For those who are familiar, you know right away when you’re looking at a dePaola book—who can forget his beautiful, soft watercolor vistas and characters that shine with personality? Helga’s Dowry is everything a Tomie dePaola story should be: gorgeous to look at but belying cheekiness and humor. Helga is a troll who knows she has two options: marry or be doomed to wander the ends of the earth forever. With options like that, it’s no surprise she’d rather be married. So when Lars, her beloved, tells her that he’s to be married to Inge, a troll with a large dowry, Helga is heartbroken. After drying off her tears, Helga decides to earn her own dowry and convince Lars to marry her after all. And so begins a rousing tale of cleverness, kookiness, a tiny dip into the “girls rock!” pool, and a surprise fairytale ending.

Buy now*

Ten-Word Tiny Tales of Love

Written and Illustrated by Joseph Coelho and 21 Artist Friends

Recommended Ages: 9+ years old

[Gifted; opinions are entirely my own]

This book is weird but in the best way possible. Coelho corrals twenty-one artist pals into illustrating his twenty-one 10-word stories. Each spread is a visual delight as artists interpret Coelho’s mini-stories into fantastic, effervescent color. And the stories themselves are little oddities—some are achingly sweet, some are eery, some are haunting, and some are just plain good-weird. And with such a wide array of stories, there’s definitely a heart beating with love in them all. This book provides a wonderful opportunity to engage with kids to share their own interpretations of the stories and what they think. The book includes a wonderful primer on how kids can create 10-word stories too.

Buy now*

Let’s Talk…

• How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

• If you have planned to distribute Valentine’s Day gifts to your kids’ classes, what are they (I could use some ideas!)?

• What’s your favorite Valentine’s Day memory?

*Thank you for using (at no additional cost to you) the affiliate links in this post! :-)