If you’re looking to inspire kindness in the children in your life, try some of these sweet Valentine’s Day stories. Below I have gathered a list of toddler books, picture books, and easy readers that focus on love, generosity, and friendship. As of this writing, all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.
Toddler Books
Construction Site – You’re Just Right: A Valentine Life-the-Flap Book written by Sherri Duskey Rinker and AG Ford
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the construction crew from the bestselling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series!
It’s Valentine’s Day at the construction site, and every truck finds a special note just for them—but who is the mystery writer? Lift the flaps to reveal sweet and silly messages, and celebrate the kindness of true friends.
With bestselling author Sherri Duskey Rinker’s lovable rhyming text, and heartwarming illustrations by AG Ford, this interactive Valentine’s tale will bring smiles to big truck fans and their families year after year. – Chronicle Books
The Goodnight Train Valentine written by June Sobel, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith
An ideal valentine for train enthusiasts, bedtime resisters, and Goodnight Train fans! A companion to The Goodnight Train Halloween and The Goodnight Train Easter, this sturdy board book has heart-shaped peekaboo die-cuts on every page.
X O! X O! Choo! Choo!
Love is in the air! Cozy up with someone special and take a Valentine’s Eve ride on the Goodnight Train in this sturdy board book with heart-shaped peekaboo die-cuts on every page. Little ones who love cars, trucks, and things that go will love all of the Goodnight Train books! – Clarion Books
Picture Books
Bigfoot’s Big Heart written by Sarah Glenn Marsh, illustrated by Ishaa Lobo
When Bigfoot loses the valentines he meant to send to his fellow monsters in hiding, scouts from all over the world come together to deliver the letters.
It’s lonely being a monster. But having other mythical pen pals helps. When Bigfoot loses the Valentine’s Day cards he so tenderly made for his friends around the world, a troop of scouts offers to help. But they will have to get creative to find every mythical creature in time! Sarah Glenn Marsh and Ishaa Lobo team up again for a sweet Valentine’s Day tale about the value of friends, both new and old. – Viking Books for Young Readers
Celebrate Love Day! adapted by Alexandra Cassel Schwartz, poses and layouts by Jason Fruchter
A new generation of children love Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, inspired by the classic series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood!
Daniel Tiger celebrates Love Day by making cards for the people he loves. This 8×8 storybook comes with eight cardstock love notes that little tigers can give to their family and friends!
It’s Love Day in the neighborhood, and Daniel is giving cards that say “I love you” to his family and friends. Then, he receives an anonymous card in his school cubby. When Daniel figures out who it’s from, he’s in for a wonderful Love Day surprise! – Simon Spotlight
Hap-pea Valentine’s Day! by Keith Baker
Keith Baker’s New York Times bestselling peas get a Valentine’s Day spin in this picture book filled with lots of loving and giving moments for the peas to share!
It’s Valentine’s Day, and there are lots of hap-pea hearts for the peas to give away. From frilly hearts and silly hearts to growing hearts and glowing hearts, there’s plenty of love to go around. Will you join the peas in giving away some valentines? Any kind will do… Every hap-pea heart says, “I Love You!” – Beach Lane Books
The House of Love written by Adriana Trigiani, illustrated by Amy June Bates
New York Times bestselling adult novelist Adriana Trigiani and beloved illustrator Amy June Bates team up for a heartwarming picture book about a how a family comes together to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Mia Valentina Amore loves valentines. After all, her name means My Valentine. When she wakes up on Valentine’s Day, it looks like just another morning in the rickety old Amore house in the Blue Ridge mountains of Appalachia. But over the course of the day, her home is transformed into the House of Love. Mia and her mama festoon the halls, build a gumdrop tree, bake cupcakes, and most importantly, make valentines for all six of her siblings. But when Mia doesn’t receive her own valentine, she wonders if Mama could have forgotten her.
New York Times bestselling novelist and filmmaker Adriana Trigiani has crafted a tender mother-daughter story that celebrates Valentine’s Day or any day that brings family together. And acclaimed illustrator Amy June Bates brings warmth and coziness to a story that affirms it doesn’t matter where you come from as long as that place is full of love. – Viking Books for Young Readers
How to Love a Grandma written by Jean Reagan, illustrated by Lee Wildish
Discover all the ways you can love a grandma in this unique and heartwarming story by the New York Times bestselling creators of How to Babysit a Grandma and How to Babysit a Grandpa.
You love Grandma, and Grandma loves you! Love her by: sharing with her, helping her, cheering her on, and, most of all, giving her great big hugs. Celebrate all the moments that can make grandmas feel special and cared for during Valentine’s Day and beyond! – Knopf Books for Young Readers
I Spy Love: A Book of Picture Riddles riddles by Dan & Dave Marzollo, photographs by Walter Wick
Love is in the air with a brand-new I Spy book! Can you find Cupid and his bow, a groom with a bride, wedding rings, babies, pets, and stuffed animal hugs? How many different hearts can you search and find? There are hearts on dice, hearts on cards, and hearts on coins. Look for rainbow hearts and zebra hearts. Can you even spot a heart way up in the sky?
I Spy Love is perfect for Valentine’s Day or any day when you need to search for some love. I Spy is a New York Times bestselling series, and Walter Wick’s captivating photographs paired with Jean Marzollo’s clever rhyming puzzles have mesmerized millions of readers for over 30 years. Wick and Marzollo continue to amaze search-and-find fans of all ages. – Cartwheel Books
Love, Violet words by Charlotte Sullivan Wild, pictures by Charlene Chua
Love, Violet by Charlotte Sullivan Wild and Charlene Chua is a touching picture book about friendship and the courage it takes to share your feelings.
Only one person
makes Violet’s heart skip
Of all the kids in Violet’s class, only one leaves her speechless: Mira, the girl with the cheery laugh who races like the wind. If only they could adventure together! But every time Violet tries to tell Mira how she feels, Violet goes shy. As Valentine’s Day approaches, Violet is determined to tell Mira just how special she is.
Charlene Chua’s luminous watercolors bring to life this sweet and gentle picture book about friendship, love, and the courage it takes to share your heart. – Farrar, Strauss and Giroux
Slug in Love written by Rachel Bright, illustrated by Nadia Shireen
From the bestselling author of Love Monster comes the irresistible story of one slug’s search for love in this endearing rhyming picture book perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Doug the slug needs a hug. But who wants to hug a slug called Doug? After a long search for someone to snuggle, lonesome Doug is ready to give up hope. But you never know when love might come flying by! Young readers will love this funny and fabulous tale that shows there’s a friend for everyone. – Simon & Schuster / Paula Wiseman Books
A Unicorn Named Sparkle and the Perfect Valentine written and illustrated by Amy Young
The fifth book in A Unicorn Named Sparkle series is about finding out there’s no perfect way to say “I love you.”
Lucy and a unicorn named Sparkle are back for another funny and sweet adventure.
Valentine’s Day is when you tell the people in your life how much you love them. There’s no one Sparkle loves more than Lucy. He decides to make her the perfect valentine. Except, instead of hands, Sparkle has hooves. He can’t write and he can’t cut. So how is he going to show Lucy that he loves her best of all? – Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Valenslime written by Joy Keller, illustrated by Ashley Belote
A young slime scientist’s efforts to make a Valentine’s Day friend for her slime explode in Valenslime, a clever and funny picture book companion to Joy Keller and Ashley Belote’s Frankenslime.
Victoria Franken, slime scientist, loved her slime. And her slime loved her back.
Ever since the dark and stormy night when Victoria Franken brought her slime to life, she and Goop have been great friends, but when Valentine’s Day rolls around, Victoria comes to the horrifying realization that while she had many friends, Goop only had her.
The only solution is for her to make him a new friend. But when Victoria gets bored waiting for lightning to strike twice, things get a bit out of control! – Feiwel & Friends
Readers
Llama Llama be my valentine! based on the series created by Anna Dewdney
Llama Llama joins the Step into Reading line with a Valentine’s Day story celebrated in the classroom! Based on the hit Netflix television series.
Families will relate to the last minute scramble to create special valentines for classmates in this Llama Llama Step 2 reader. Gilroy Goat is stumped about what to create. But in the end, he comes up with an idea that is all his own!
The beloved character, made famous by Anna Dewdney’s best-selling picture books, is the star of his own original series.
Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories, for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help. Rhyme and rhythmic text paired with picture clues help children decode the story. – Random House Books for Young Readers
Stitch’s Valentine written by Tim McCanna, illustrated by the Disney Storybook Art Team
A Step 2 Step into Reading leveled reader starring Stitch from Disney’s Lilo & Stitch as he celebrates Valentine’s Day!
It’s Valentine’s Day, and everyone has a Valentine except Stitch! He heads out to find his alien friend Angel to celebrate with, but can he find her before the day ends? Kids ages 4 to 6 will love this sweet and silly step 2 Step into Reading leveled reader based on Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Step 2 readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories. For children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help. – RH/Disney
Vanishing Valentines adapted by Annie Auerbach
When Valentine’s Day cards and treats go missing throughout Kittydale, the SuperKitties must track down the thief to save the holiday. This pawsome foursome of adorable kitties transform into fierce, furry super heroes anytime justice needs to be served. Based on the hit Disney Junior series SuperKitties, this early reader is perfect for fans aged 4 to 6.
This Level 1 reader is Lexile leveled to align the reader and text at an appropriate level of reading difficulty. The use of simple text and word repetitions helps lead emergent readers to reading success. – Random House / Disney
With Love from Daniel written by Perry Michaels, poses and layouts by Jason Fruchter
A new generation of children love Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, inspired by the classic series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood!
Daniel Tiger shares stories about the people in his life that he loves in this sweet Pre-Level 1 Ready-to-Read perfect for Valentine’s Day or anytime you want to show you care!
Daniel tells his class about the family and friends he loves. He draws pictures to show while he talks about each one and their special memories together, from playing cars with Miss Elaina to Dad Tiger putting Daniel up on his shoulders! – Simon Spotlight
The Dogs of Venice by Steven Rowley. After months of planning a romantic holiday getaway in Venice, Paul is blindsided when his five-year marriage suddenly unravels. Fueled by heartbreak, Paul endeavors to take the trip alone. Soon after arriving in Italy, he notices a small, scruffy, self-assured dog trotting alongside a canal with the confidence he so desperately wants for himself. When their paths cross again, Paul feels compelled to learn how his new four-legged friend thrives on his own. Amid the food, sights, and welcoming people of Venice, Paul’s journey culminates in a magical encounter that leads him to feel real connection — to a dog, to a foreign city and, most importantly, to himself.
Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri. Set in the heart of Tuscan wine country, this mystery introduces Nico Doyle, a former NYPD homicide detective who’s just looking for space to grieve when he finds himself pulled into a local murder investigation. Mourning the loss of his wife, Rita, former NYPD homicide detective Nico Doyle moves to her hometown of Gravigna in the wine-soaked region of Chianti. Half-Italian and half-Irish, Nico finds himself able to get by in the region with the help of Rita’s relatives, but he still feels alone and out of place. Early one morning, he hears a gunshot near his cabin and walks out to discover a dead body in the woods, flashily dressed in gold tennis shoes. Salvatore Perillo, the local maresciallo, enlists Nico’s help with the murder case. It turns out more than one person in this idyllic corner of Italy knew the victim, and with a very small pool of suspects, including his own in-laws, Nico must dig up Gravigna’s every last painful secret to get to the truth.
May the Wolf Die by Elizabeth Heider. Nikki Serafino is enjoying the sunset from her boat in her beloved port city of Naples, Italy, when she discovers the body of a man in the warm waters of the bay. An investigator working as the liaison between local police and American troops, Nikki is certainly no stranger to violence and organized crime, but this case grows complicated when the victim turns out to be a U.S. Navy captain stationed at the nearby military base-and the autopsy reveals foul play. As she delves into the case, another body is found and Nikki must face connections linking the murders to her own complicated history as a daughter of Naples.
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack. All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series — is that too much to ask? Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life — the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can’t get out of her life — Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case. Contending with literary rivals, rabid fans, a stalker — and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly — theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?
Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker. Max happens to look exactly like Sofia Kristiansen, the youngest female prime minister in Europe. Sofia is powerful, beautiful, and unfortunately, someone is trying really hard to assassinate her. Her security service wants to outsmart the bad guys by employing a body double during the prime minister’s annual Italian holiday. Physically speaking, Max is an outrageously convincing doppelgänger; surely no one will spot the difference. No one can know about Max’s new job — no one except Sofia and a few intelligence officers, including Flynn, the handler assigned to Max’s case. Flynn, who’ll instruct her how to act like a prime minister in public. Flynn, who has an unexpected history with Max — from another sun-drenched summer years and years ago. Now he’s instructed to stay in Max’s suite to protect her as old passions and assassins collide.
There are four books in the “Meet me in Italy” series by Jennifer Probst, but each stands alone.
