Best Valentine’s Day Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Valentine’s’ Day is not something I looked forward to a ton before I had kids. It felt manufactured, random, overhyped- all the things. But Valentine’s Day with little kids? The sweetest.
It’s rapidly become one of my favorite holidays with them just because of its simplicity. It’s something sweet and cute to brighten up February. When we’re in the slog between the excitement of Christmas and waiting for spring to finally arrive, Valentine’s Day books and activities can be a perfect way to bring a whole lot of very simple joy into February.
So here’s my very simple list of our favorite Valentine’s Day books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Ones we come back to every year and ones that my girls love pulling out of their closet when February comes.
(And in the spirit of keeping Valentine’s Day low key, this list is short!)
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Valentine’s Day Books for Babies and Young Toddlers
Where is Baby’s Valentine? by Karen Katz
I’ve lost track of how many Karen Katz books we have in our home. We absolutely love them. This one, just like the other Karen Katz lift-the-flap-books features adorable, simple illustrations and large flaps that are easy for little hands to lift up.
The baby in the story is looking for her special valentine, and along the way finds other Valentine’s Day treats like cupcakes and teddy bears.
Babies and toddlers alike enjoy the flaps and the bright, cheerful pictures. This one in particular is so well loved that I think every single one of the flaps has been taped back on at some point.
It’s available on Amazon here.
Who Loves Boo? by Salina Yoon- A Hide-and-Seek Book
Similar to Where is Baby’s Valentine, this book features a cat searching for a valentine. Instead of flaps though, it has cutouts on the side that make it easy for little hands to turn the pages. And a bonus- the valentine is textured.
Again- these are bright and colorful illustrations that grab even the shortest of attention spans.
It’s available on Amazon here.
Llama Llama I Love You by Anna Dewdney
The Llama Llama for Little Ones board books are all so great, and this one is no exception. Featuring simple rhymes and a catchy cadence, this is one that my oldest daughter memorized to the point that she was able to recite it from heart when she was still a toddler.
While it doesn’t have interactive features like flaps or textures, children will love the rhyming pattern and the familiarity of another Llama Llama book.
It’s available on Amazon here.
Valentine’s Day Books for Older Toddlers and Young Preschoolers
With a few more words and not as many interactive features, these books are great for older toddlers and young preschoolers who are developing longer attention spans.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! By Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond
Mouse, from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, is making valentines for all of his friends. Featuring all of the characters from the “If You Give” series, Mouse makes personalized valentines with specific reasons why he loves all of his friends.
My daughter loved seeing all of the different characters show up and loved the idea of making individual valentines for her own friends.
It’s available on Amazon here.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Peekaboo Valentine by Eric Carle
I originally got this one for my baby thinking it might be a lift the flap book. While it wasn’t, and I was a little disappointed, my preschooler loved searching for the caterpillar on each page.
Additionally, my toddler loved the rhymes.
We all loved the artwork of Eric Carle (which is also a fun type of process of art that’s fun for toddlers and preschoolers alike to try and recreate on a cold, winter’s day! You can learn more about Eric Carle’s process by checking out this article from the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
It’s available on Amazon here.
Best Valentine’s Day Books For Preschoolers
Rocket’s Secret Valentine by Tad Hills
Tad Hills is one of my all-time favorite children’s authors and Rocket is one of our favorite characters.
In this book, Rocket looks for his hidden valentine as he follows a series of clues. With each clue ending in a rhyme, my toddler and preschooler both love completing the clues. Along the way, Rocket visits all of his friends as they search for the valentine.
It’s sweet, adorable, and has inspired my oldest daughter to also make Valentine’s Day scavenger hunts.
Of all the books on this list, this book is probably our favorite Valentine’s Day book for toddlers and preschoolers alike.
It’s available on Amazon here.
Penguin in Love by Salina Yoon
The Penguin books by Salina Yoon are so cute. Penguin and Bootsy both share a love for knitting and they make different gifts for their friends. Along the way, their friends realize that Penguin and Bootsy are perfect for one another and use their shared love of knitting to bring them together.
It’s available on Amazon here.
Good Dog Carl’s Valentine by Alexandra Day
The baby who was in the earlier Carl Dog books is all grown up and is making valentines. She teaches Carl how to make a valentine card by adding pretty items to it like ribbons, stickers, and doilies.
Carl decides to make his own valentine card for the little girl, complete with dog biscuits. It’s so cute (and a great model for making valentines day cards out of different materials!)
My daughter absolutely LOVED the idea of Carl making a valentine for the little girl.
It’s available on Amazon here.
I hope on this list there’s a few books that you want to curl up with your own little ones on a cozy February day!
And if you’re looking for more cozy winter books, check out my posts here about favorite snowy day books:
